The Dark Arch
by yamigambit009
Summary: Ch. 45 finally up! With The Silver Tournament gone, Kaiba unleashes his third tournament to date! A new enemy approaches, and what do they exactly want? Read to discover!
1. A Final Surprise

Disclaimer: Great, I get to start this all over again.. DON'T OWN YU-Gi-OH!  
  
And, the mention of the word "Black Gate" is NOT the one from the kick-ass series..LORD OF THE RINGS!!!  
  
EVERYONE NEEDS TO SEE RETURN OF THE KING!!!  
  
But anyway...  
  
Here we go! Again! Okay, since my story got deleted, I've decided to start a brand new one leaving off from where we left off, in the finals!   
  
Any questions? Just send me an e-mail!  
  
Now, getting to more important matters....  
  
Chapter 48: A Final Surprise  
  
"Attention all remaining competitors. Even though there are only two remaining preliminary duelists, all head to the Selection Room!" he announced, while every anime-fell at the end of his statement.  
  
"We have to go to the selection room even though there are only two duelists left?! What a world!" Tea stated.  
  
~~ Selection Room ~~  
  
"Well, now that we're all here, I have an announcement for everyone. No, we are not going to waste minutes going through the selector, but everyone needs to pack their bags, put them in the lobby, and meet at the dueling arena in 10 minutes. That is all." The tournament coordinator announced, walking to a separate room as everyone turned to go back to their own.  
  
"Pack our bags? The tournament's not even halfway over!" Tea yelled. "This thing just keeps getting weirder and weirder.  
  
~~ Lobby ~~  
  
"Well, let's keep all of our bags together." Yugi suggested, everyone placing them into a pile.  
  
~~ Selection Room ~~  
  
"Now, as of this minute, your bags are being moved to the final place our finals will be held. The place we are going this very minute. All participants and "friends" please move this way." He stated, motioning towards a door.  
  
The doorway was dark, almost too dark. As Yugi took the first step inside, the tournament coordinator put on a sly grin. Suddenly, Yugi was sucked inside this dark, purple vortex. Everyone turned away but the vortex opened much wider, making him or her all fall in. The vortex was dark purple and black all mixed together. It was dark, cold, and seemed to go on forever. They were dropped somewhere. You couldn't call it a room or a forest, since everything was black. No light coming from anywhere, not even a glimpse.  
  
"Where the heck are we?!" Joey demanded to know, no one answering.  
  
Instantly, the tournament coordinator's face appeared in the midst of the sky. "Oh no! Now what could have happened?" he fake sympathized. "Oh! Well, looks to me your stuck in the Black Realm! And, the only way to get out is by leaving through the Black Gate!" he yelled.  
  
"Where is this Black Gate?" Yugi demanded.  
  
"Do you honestly think I'm going to tell you? You must duel some "interesting" people, and one way or another should you win, mind you- which won't be easy, they will give you a piece of a map, leading to the Black Gate. When you arrive there, you'll find it won't be so easy to get home."  
  
"Not another one of THESE!" Tea thought.  
  
"Now, you'll find the rules very similar to the ones you encountered with your virtual world experience."  
  
"Now before I let you go, I believe we should make you suffer, so, you'll have to find each other. And Yugi, Tea, and Joey, believe me, it will be MUCH harder. Now have fun!" and with that one portal opened up beneath everyone sending to a different part of a region.  
  
"Let's see what those fools are made of. This will be one test THEY CAN'T PASS!" he yelled, laughing. 


	2. First Victim, Part 1

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1 for Details!  
  
Chapter 2: First Victim  
  
"Whoa! What am I doing in here? It's way too dark. Great," Kevin said, sitting up. I'm in a Yami magic card, freaky, let's see how I can get out of here." He began walking down an extremely long tunnel.  
  
It kept going. And going. And going. And going. And going. And going. And going. And going. (A/N: Get the point?) And going And going And going And going And going And going And going And going And going (A/N: Shouldn't he like pass out?) And going And going And going And going And going And going And going And going And going And going And going And going And going And going And going And going And going And going And going And going And going And going And going And going And going And going  
  
Finally, after it seemed it had no end, he heard another set of footsteps approaching. They kept walking faster, and quieter, as if they were going to sneak up on Kevin.  
  
Suddenly, he ran into something. He couldn't see, but could see it was something big, really big.  
  
"Looking for a way out are we?" the creature casually stated.  
  
"Why do you ask questions to which you already know the answer?" (WHOEVER KNOWS WHERE THAT COME GETS MAJOR HOUSE POINTS) Kevin replied.  
  
"Well, look there." The creature motioned, moving out of the way so small rays of light came through, hurting Kevin's eyes since being trapped in the darkness for so long.  
  
"But there's one condition, boy." He continued, his tone becoming more vicious.  
  
"You must defeat me........IN A DUEL!" (MAJOR SHOCK)  
  
"Defeat you? I'll CRUSH you." Kevin responded.  
  
"Then follow me to our dueling sight." The creature replied, walking down a separate corridor, Kevin following.  
  
After a minute they came to a big open arena. The creature went to his own side, as did Kevin.  
  
"Now, let me formally introduce myself." He stated, snapping, as the lights instantly flashed on.  
  
"I am the Skull Knight!"  
  
"Well, let me introduce myself, I am going to crush you." Kevin said, angering Skull Knight.  
  
"A smart one, eh? Well, moving on, you must select your cards in our database." He said, and instantly the card library appeared in front of Kevin. After rebuilding his deck, he was ready to begin.  
  
"One more thing." Skull Knight stated. "You must choose a Deck Master."  
  
"Oh yeah." Thought Kevin. "It's one of those things the coordinator mentioned."  
  
~~ FLASHBACK~~  
  
TO THE SCENE WHERE THE COORDINATOR MENTIONS THE VIRTUAL WORLD SYSTEM  
  
~~ END FLASHBACK ~~  
  
"I think I'll choose this, it's bailed me out of some tough situations before." He thought, placing onto its proper place.  
  
"My deck master will be Buster Blader!" he yelled as his faithful monster appeared directly beside him. Skull Knight snickered.  
  
Well, at least Kevin thought Buster Blader was beside him, but looking at his arm, he noticed something odd.  
  
He was Buster Blader.  
  
"WHOA!" he screamed, jumping back.  
  
"Yes, you must serve as the duelist and the deck master, so, when your deck master, or should I say you, become destroyed, you will be imprisoned in your Deck Master Card! And, when I rip your card up..well, let's just say you won't be seeing anyone anymore, quite literally. But, that's enough information, I believe I have a duel to win." Skull Knight announced.  
  
Both life point counters raised directly to 4000.  
  
"I'll take the first move." Skull Knight rudely said.  
  
"I'll summon Tiki Statue (450/300) in attack mode, and play this card face down." Skull Knight said.  
  
"No matter. I'll burn your tiki to ashes! Go, Fire Archer (1750/1000) and attack now!" Kevin commanded as the archer grabbed an arrow, which instantly caught on fire and launched it at the statue, hitting him directly and shattering him. (SK's LP: 2700)  
  
"Now I've got a look at this chump's strategy." Skull Knight thought.  
  
"I'll draw a card, and summon Ryu-Kishin (1000/500) in attack mode, but I'll activate my face down card, Puppet Strings, which will allow me to take control of your monster for 2 turns!" Skull Knight explained, as magical strings dragged Fire Archer to Skull Knight's field.  
  
"And now for a perfect set up, I'll play one more card face down, which will end my turn." He said.  
  
"He's got something big planned. I have to destroy his Ryu-Kishin, and that'll give me a better lead." Kevin thought, fixing to draw his next card.  
  
"Sorry, but not this time! I reveal my face down trap, Lottery! This trap will roll a dice and depending on the number, a certain effect will happen. Now dice, roll!" he yelled as the dice dropped on the field, landing on a 6.  
  
"YES! And thanks to my card's effect, that makes you skip your entire turn." Skull Knight explained, much to Kevin's demise.  
  
"So, now I will sacrifice both my Ryu-Kishin and your Fire Archer!" he yelled as the monsters swirled in red vortexes, to summon my Seiyaryu! (2500/2300)." Both vortexes swirled together, revealing a massive pink dragon, with jade green eyes flying down onto the field.  
  
"Now, Seiyaryu, attack and destroy him!" Skull Knight commanded as the dragon blasted a massive stream of mystical red fire, completely surrounding the Buster Blader. Luckily for Kevin since Seiyaryu is weaker than Buster Blader, it didn't have that much impact. (K's LP: 1500)  
  
"Well, one more attack and my Seiyaryu will have taken you over, my, if I had known this duel would be this easy, I would have waited MUCH longer to run into you." He teased as Kevin drew.  
  
"Alright! A Blue Eyes, I can't summon it, but it might come in handy. I play Swords of Revealing Light to stop you from attacking for 3 turns, and then I'll be forced to end my turn." Kevin said.  
  
"Back to me then!" Skull Knight declared, drawing. "My poor Seiyaryu wants to destroy you so badly, but oh well, I can always sacrifice Seiyaryu to summon Eagle of Revival (2100/1650)" A giant eagle now took the place of Seiyaryu.  
  
"WHAT WAS THE POINT OF THAT?!?" Kevin burst, laughing.  
  
"You just destroyed a level 7- 2500/2300 monster, for a level 6-2100/1650 monster! HELLO, DID YOU RELAISE THAT?!"  
  
"You fool! Watch my eagle's special ability!" he commanded as the colors of eagle's body became rainbow colored. Suddenly, a small rainbow shot off to the next monster card zone, becoming a swirling vortex. When the vortex died down, there was Seiyaryu, but instead of being a pink dragon, he was a rainbow dragon.  
  
"I'll place 2 cards face down, then activate Pot of Greed! This will allow me to draw two cards, and that'll end my turn." He stated.  
  
"My turn, then! I'll summon Beta the Magnet Warrior (1700/1600) in attack mode and end my turn by playing the magic card, Electric Shockwave, which will raise my monster's attack power by 700, and decrease your monsters' attack power 300 points each one of your turns!" he explained, as Skull Knight softly growled, which soon became a chuckle.  
  
"No matter, for it's time for you to meet a creature who will strike fear in you forever! I activate the ritual magic card, Beastly Mirror Ritual! And by sacrificing my Revival Eagle and Seiyaryu, I will summon a monster that will make your body mine!" he laughed.  
  
~~ CARDS PLAYED ~~  
  
Tiki Statue: */450/300/Rock Type  
  
Fire Archer: ****/1750/1000/Warrior Type  
  
Ryu-Kishin: ***/1000/500/Fiend Type  
  
Puppet Strings: TRAP/Desc: Control one enemy monster for two turns.  
  
Lottery: TRAP/Desc: Roll one die. Apply the following effect to the corresponding number rolled: 1: Your opponent skips their draw phase, 2: Your opponent skips their Standby Phase, 3: Your opponent skips their main phase, 4: Your opponent skips their battle phase, 5: Your opponent cannot summon any monsters in their next turn, 6: Your opponent skips their entire turn.  
  
Seiyaryu: *******/2500/2300/Dragon Type  
  
Swords of Revealing Light: MAGIC/Desc: Counting from your opponent's turn, your opponent cannot attack for 3 turns, and all of your opponent's face down monsters are revealed.  
  
Eagle of Revival: ******/2100/1650/Winged Beast Type/Effect/Desc: Revive any monster(s) that were sacrificed to summon this monster. When this card is destroyed, all revived monsters under this card's effect are destroyed.  
  
Pot of Greed: MAGIC/Desc: Draw 2 cards from your deck.  
  
Beta the Magnet Warrior: ****/1700/1600/Rock Type Electric Shockwave: MAGIC/Desc: Increase one monster's attack power by 700 points, and decrease all "Light", "Fire", "Water", "Earth", and "Wind" type monsters' attack points by 300 every turn.  
  
Beastly Mirror Ritual: RITUAL MAGIC/Desc: This ritual card is used to summon "Fiend's Hand Mirror". You must also offer monsters whose Level Stars equal to 6 or greater from your hand or the field as a tribute. This card is used to Ritual Summon "Relinquished". You must also offer monsters whose total Level Stars equal 1 or more from the Field or your hand as a Tribute. 


	3. First Victim, Part 2

Disclaimer: See Chapter 2 for details!  
  
Chapter 3: First Victim, Part 2  
  
"And now, reveal a creature that will easily bring you down! I have summoned the Fiend's Hand Mirror (2100/1800)!" A giant beastly mirror with a light purple aura was summoned to the field.  
  
Kevin burst out laughing. "Just another one of your stupid mistakes! A level 6 and a level 7 to summon THAT thing? What do you plan to do with it?"  
  
(It's quite easy. First, I'll take apart his weak defenses, and if he should summon a monster with decent attack points, I'll just show him what this weak thing can do.) Skull Knight thought, snickering to himself.  
  
"Now, where were we? Ah, yes, I'll play the magic card, Soul Taker, which in this particular situation, will raise my monster's attack points to 2600, and decrease yours to it's original 1700.  
  
"Now, Fiend's Hand Mirror, attack his pitiful magnet warrior!" he commanded as the mirror gathered a humongous ball of purple energy, shooting directly across the arena, disintegrating Beta. (K's LP: 600)  
  
"Just one more!" Skull Knight teased as Kevin drew.  
  
(Perfect) He thought. "I play the magic card, Grave Arm, which will instantly send your monster to the graveyard!" he yelled as a giant demon arm dragged Fiend's Hand Mirror into the dark abyss.  
  
"Now I'll summon Gearfried the Iron Knight (1800/1600) in attack mode. Direct attack!" Kevin commanded as the Knight launched at him, striking him directly across the chest. Skull Knight's response was a deep growl. (SK's LP: 900).  
  
"I can guarantee you that you WILL indeed pay for that!" he retorted, drawing his next card.  
  
"Much sooner than even I had expected! For now, this one card will turn the duel directly in my favor! Reveal, Monster Reborn! Revive my fallen Fiend's Hand Mirror!" he declared as his monster reappeared on the field, Skull Knight smiling.  
  
"Not quite enough to finish you off, but I think this might!" he chuckled, "I will summon Dark Abyss Guard (1500/1500) in attack mode and then activate the one card that will ultimately seal your fate, my Polymerization card!"  
  
The two monsters were absorbed into the card, and came out one giant black mirror, with a ghostly black aura surrounding it. "I'd like to introduce you to my ultimate monster, Skull Mirror (1300/1200)!" he casually stated, as the mirror became blacker and blacker.  
  
"But, luckily for you, you have one turn before I cast you into eternal darkness."  
  
(And just wait until next turn) Skull Knight thought.  
  
Kevin instantly drew. "This will get rid of his stupid little monster and win me this duel! I sacrifice Gearfried to summon Summoned Skull (2500/1200)! And now it's time to win this match! Summoned Skull attack Skull Mirror NOW!" he shouted as Summoned Skull gathered and fired off a stream of electricity.  
  
"Skull Mirror, counter attack!" Skull Knight commanded as the mirror absorbed Skull Knight but then spat him back out, completely untouched as his attack remained. But this time, six black orbs of energy came out around the brim of the mirror. They all combined to form one giant ball, which hurled itself at Summoned Skull, destroying it without a trace. (K's LP: 550)  
  
"WHAT?!? Your mirror should have become a pile of glass!" he yelled, as Skull Knight laughed and shook his head.  
  
"Always thinking the simple way are we?" Skull Knight teased.  
  
"It was quite simple. My Skull Mirror's effect is quite handy, when it can be. Anyways, my Skull Mirror gains half of the attack points of every fiend summoned to the field!"  
  
"Any monster?!" Kevin questioned.  
  
"Is there an echo in here? Nope. Did I stutter? Can't remember doing that? YES!" he responded, but lightening up.  
  
"So, are you going to make your final move, or do you wish to surrender? Why should you even have a choice? The outcome will be the same..you will LOSE!" he laughed.  
  
"Just shut up!" Kevin yelled, stopping Skull Knight instantly.  
  
"Well isn't someone arrogant? But continue on."  
  
"No! This card won't help me at all!" Kevin thought, but soon realized an easy way to be the victor.  
  
"I'll move myself into play!" he declared as he floated onto the middle monster card plate.  
  
"Now, I attack your Skull Mirror!" he declared as his duel disk and cards disappeared suddenly, and was replaced with Buster Blader's sword. He ran and made a direct swipe down the middle, shattering the wicked mirror and lifted the blackness caused by it. (SK's LP: 0)  
  
"No! How could I be defeated?!" he yelled as he disappeared, vanished completely.  
  
Kevin walked outside. The light hurt his eyes badly, but he kept on.  
  
~~ Elsewhere~~  
  
"Great. All the places and I get the mountains. And I'm not exactly dressed for a hike." Mai Valentine said, heading downward, sliding a few times but nothing serious.  
  
There was a noise behind her.  
  
"What was that? Probably just something the wind made. Oh well."  
  
There it was again, but louder, and closer.  
  
"Okay, this is not the wind." She began picking up her speed, until something flew directly in front of her. It was a Harpie Lady.  
  
"You have treated me so cruel, now I come for my revenge!" the winged female stated.  
  
"Are you trying to psyche me out, because that is a really sad attempt." She said.  
  
"Well, let me put it to you in not such a sad way!" she yelled as her duel disk appeared on her arm.  
  
"But not here!" she yelled picking Mai up and flying her to the top of a giant plateau, high in the mountain region.  
  
"It's just quite simple. We duel with the normal Battle City rules. But, look." The Harpie said, motioning to a yellow box in the corner.  
  
"That will keep track of life points, just like our Duel Disks, except that when the loser, or more specifically, you, lose the box will set off an explosion and the force will either cause a rockslide to come and bury you, or the force will knock you off the cliff to your inevitable doom.  
  
"But enough talk and warnings. I believe we have a duel in order, but first you need to choose your deck ." The Harpie Lady explained, as the giant card database appeared in front of Mai. (This is taking forever!) she thought, Mai going through the rows carefully, the last thing she wanted to do right now was die.  
  
"COME ON! NOT LIKE IT WILL MATTER!" she yelled as Mai touched her final card, Harpie Lady.  
  
"Now, pick your deck master!" she commanded as Mai flipped through her cards.  
  
(I would pick my Harpie Lady, but I don't want to be the same thing as her.that'd be insulting myself.) Mai thought, grinning as she saw another card.  
  
"It's just like you, only better! My deck master will be the Unfriendly Amazon!" she yelled as the armor appeared on her, everything but the sword.  
  
"What's happening? Why am I her?" she questioned.  
  
"Oh, I forgot to mention, you must be your deck master, so when you lose you'll be trapped within her card, imprisoned for eternity! But, just for fun, I've deactivated that part of your downfall, so I can get rid of you.permanently.  
  
"But enough talking!" she squawked.  
  
"Duel!" they both shouted, drawing their opening hands.  
  
~~~ CARDS PLAYED ~~~  
  
Fiend's Hand Mirror: ******/2100/1800/Fiend Type  
  
Soul Taker: MAGIC/Desc: When one of your opponent's monsters has more attack points than your monster, increase your monster's attack power by 500 points and decrease your opponent's by 700.  
  
Grave Arm: MAGIC/Desc: Destroy the last summoned monster on the field.  
  
Gearfried the Iron Knight: ****/1800/1600/Warrior Type/Desc: Any equip card equipped to this monster is immediately destroyed.  
  
Monster Reborn: MAGIC/Desc: Revive one monster from either player's graveyard, placing it on the field under your control.  
  
Dark Abyss Guard: ****/1500/1500/Spellcaster Type/Desc: When this monster is special summoned, destroy all light monsters in play.  
  
Polymerization: MAGIC/Desc: Fuse 2 or more compatible monsters into a fusion type monster.  
  
Skull Mirror: *******/1300/1200/Fiend Type/Desc: This monster gains half of the attack of all fiend monsters in play.  
  
Summoned Skull: ******/2500/1200/Fiend Type  
  
Buster Blader: *******/2600/2300/Warrior Type/Desc: This monster gains 500 attack points for each dragon type card in your opponent's graveyard or on their field/DECK MASTER ABILITY: Each of your dragon type monsters gains 500 attack points. 


	4. Friendly Foes, Part 1

Disclaimer: See Chapter 3 For Details  
  
Chapter 4: Friendly Foes, Part 1  
  
"Now! I summon Cure Mermaid (1500/800) in attack mode and play this one card face down." Harpie Lady announced.  
  
"Then it's my turn! And I summon Amazoness Swords Woman (1500/1600) and that'll end my turn." She stated as Harpie Lady drew.  
  
"First of all, I'll activate my Cure Mermaid's special effect, increasing my life points by 800!" (HL's LP: 4800)  
  
"But then, I sacrifice Cure Mermaid to summon Magical Marionette (2000/1000) and attack Amazoness Swords Woman!" Harpie Lady declared, as the marionette unleashed strings wrapping around Amazoness Swords Woman, then the strings were pulled tightly, shattering her. (HL's LP: 4300)  
  
"I draw." Mai stated. (Perfect.) "I summon Vampire Orchis (1700/1000) in attack mode, which automatically allows me to summon Des Dendle (300/2000)! "Now, I activate the magic card, Curse Ring, which will weaken your monster by 700 points!"  
  
"Now, I attach Des Dendle to Vampire Orchis! Vampire Orchis, attack Magical Marionette!" Mai commanded as the orchis unleashed a green windblast, blowing the marionette back and ultimately destroying it. (HL's LP: 3900)  
  
The Harpie Lady drew. (YES!) She thought. "I activate the field magic card, Necrovalley!" she announced as the plateau morphed into a valley.  
  
"Now I summon, Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier (1500/1000+500) and thanks to it being on the field as Necrovalley, it gains 500 attack and defense points! Now attack her weak Vampire Orchis!" she commanded as the soldier went to chop up the flower, but Des Dendle took the hit. (M's LP: 2300)  
  
"Okay, this is not going my way." She thought, drawing her next card. "I play the trap card, Trap Dustshoot! This card allows me to look at your hand and place one monster card back into your deck!" she explained as Harpie Lady's hand appeared on the duel disk.  
  
"Well, seeing as you only have one monster, it will go back into your deck." Mai stated as Harpie Lady shuffled the card into her deck.  
  
"Perfect. I can sacrifice two monsters next turn to summon this card!" Mai thought.  
  
"And won't this look familiar!" she yelled. "I play Harpie Lady (1300/1400) in defense mode, and switch Vampire Orchis to defense mode and end my turn!"  
  
"Well then, I play the magic card, Royal Tribute, which forces us to discard all monster cards in our hands!" she declared as Mai growled, but reluctantly slid two cards into the graveyard.  
  
"And now I sacrifice Gravekeeper Spear Soldier to summon Gravekeeper Chief (1900/1200) and now I can revive my Gravekeeper Spear Soldier!" She announced as her monster reappeared on the field.  
  
"But you can't! Necrovalley puts your graveyard off-limits!" Mai yelled.  
  
"On the contrary! But, my Gravekeeper Chief makes Necrovalley's effect immune to me as long as it remains face-up!" Harpie Lady retorted, making Mai sink inside.  
  
"And now, Gravekeeper Chief, attack Vampire Orchis!" she commanded, in which the chief umm....destroyed Vampire Orchis (I can't think of an attack, God people, get off my case.)  
  
"And now, Gravekeeper Spear Soldier destroy Harpie Lady!" The soldier went directly through the winged female, slicing her in two.  
  
"Next turn that'll be you!" she snickered as Mai drew.  
  
"Perfect!" she thought. "I activate the magic card, Dark Hole! This will instantly suck up every monster on the field!" she explained as the black vortex appeared in the middle of the playing field and both of Harpie Lady's monsters were absorbed.  
  
"And now I summon the Crass Clown (1350/1400) in attack mode! Crass Clown attack her life points now!" Mai commanded. The clown responded by deadly knives at her, piercing her badly. (HL's LP: 2550)  
  
"And I'll finish my move by playing this one card face down." Mai stated, as the hologram appeared.  
  
Harpie Lady drew. "Time to get her into a jam! First, I'll summon Petit Dragon (600/700) in attack mode!" she yelled as her tiny dragon appeared in front of her, snarling at Mai.  
  
(Please sister! That little weak thing, you must be one of those types who never surrender. What a shame, but just some of us are born for greatness.) Mai thought, smiling at the last part.  
  
(That's right foolish girl! Believe you'll easily win this, get happy and cheerful for it will be that much more fun to take everything away from you, permanently!) Harpie Lady thought, eyeing cards of use in her hand.  
  
"I play a risky magic card, Final Option! This magic card forces me to use all the cards in my hand this turn, but in return, I receive the amount of life points you took away from me!" she explained.  
  
"But on the downside, if I can't, I lose 2000 life points, placing the victory surely in your hands." She continued. (But let's just see if I can't!) Harpie Lady thought, snickering.  
  
"I play Yield Tribute next, to special summon my Hinotama Soul (600/500) in attack mode as well! And now prepare for a card that will demolish all of your hopes! Go, Polymerization!" she yelled as both monsters were absorbed into the card, and came out a golden dragon with tall electric horns, and giant wings.  
  
"Meet Dragonite (2700/2100), one of the more powerful creatures in my deck, but fused from 2 lower class monsters! Your lucky I can't blow away your pathetic clown. No matter. Make your move!" she demanded. (HL's LP: 3900)  
  
"Anxious to lose that quickly?" Mai retorted, Harpie Lady smiled. Mai drew.  
  
"I sacrifice Crass Clown to summon Beast of Talwar (2400/2150)! Now I'll play this one card face down, and activate Mage Power! This magic card will increase my monster's strength to 3400!" she explained as the beast was surrounded in a purple aura and got into battle mode. (Anyone else get that?..)  
  
"Now Beast of Talwar! Attack her weak dragon!" Mai commanded as the warrior dove at the dragon, and with a 3-slice combo attacked.  
  
"Wrong! Reveal trap card, Light and Dark Combo Attack!" she yelled as her card flipped up. An angel and a devil appeared on the field. The angel launched a white ball of energy at the Beast of Talwar.  
  
"You see, my trap card will first cut your monster's attack points in half!" she explained as the Beast's points lowered to 1700.  
  
"And for more fun, my monster will launch an attack with the same amount of strength right back at your monster!" The devil launched a wide black ball of energy at the Beast, dissolving it instantly. (M's LP: 600)  
  
(Great. One more of those and I'm done for sure. And with two face down cards I'm sure one of those will be ready to wipe me out.) Mai thought.  
  
"Come on, make your move already! Not like anything you do will help you, I have over 6 times the amount of life points you have and I've got a monster with 2700 attack points! We'll blow you away next turn!" Harpie Lady laughed and put on a devilish grin.  
  
Mai put on a stern look. (As much as I hate to admit it, she's right. There's no way I can summon a monster with 2700 attack points! I'm a goner!) Mai thought. (There's no way I can win!)  
  
~~~ CARDS PLAYED ~~~  
  
~~ DECK MASTERS~~  
  
Harpie Lady: ****/1300/1400/Winged Beast Type/Deck Master Ability: Sacrifice 1000 life points to triple one monster on the field.  
  
Unfriendly Amazon: ****/2000/1000/Warrior Type/Desc: Offer 1 of your monsters on the field as a Tribute (excluding this monster) during each of your Standby Phases. If you cannot, this card is destroyed. Monsters used for a Tribute Summon or that are offered as Tributes due to other cards' effects are excluded/Deck Master Ability: Pay 500 life points to sacrifice one monster on your side of the field to destroy one monster on your opponent's side of the field.  
  
~~ Regular Monsters~~  
  
Cure Mermaid: ****/1500/800/Fish Type/Desc: As long as this card remains face up on your side the field, increase your life points by 800 during each of your standby phases.  
  
Amazoness Swords Woman: ****/1500/1600/Warrior Type/Desc: The opponent takes all battle damage from battle involving this monster  
  
Magical Marionette: *****/2000/1000/Spellcaster Type/Desc: Each time you or your opponent activates 1 Magic Card put 1 Spell Counter on this card. Increase the ATK of this monster by 200 points for each Spell Counter on this card. Also, you can remove 2 Spell Counters from this card to destroy 1 monster on the field.  
  
Vampire Orchis: ****/1700/1000/Plant Type/Desc: When this monster is Normal Summoned successfully, you can Special Summon 1 "Des Dendle" from your hand.  
  
Des Dendle: ****/300/2000/Plant & Union Type/Desc: Once per turn, during your Main Phase, if you control this monster on the field, you can equip it to your "Vampire Orchis" as an Equip Spell Card OR change it back to a monster in face-up Attack Position. When equipped to a monster by this card's effect, each time that monster destroys 1 of your opponent's monsters Special Summon 1 "Wicked Plant Token" (Plant-Type/EARTH/1 Star/ATK 800/DEF 800) in Attack or Defense Position. (1 monster can only be equipped with 1 Union Monster at a time. If the Monster that this card is equipped to is destroyed in battle, this card is destroyed instead.)  
  
Curse Ring: MAGIC/Desc: Weaken one monster by 700 attack and defense points.  
  
Necrovalley: FIELD MAGIC/Desc: As long as this card remains face up on the field, all effects of Magic, Trap, and/or Effect Monster Cards that involve Graveyards are negated and neither player can remove cards in the Graveyard from play. In addition, increase the ATK and DEF of all monsters that includes 'Gravekeeper's' in their card name by 500 points.  
  
Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier: ****/1500/1000/Spellcaster Type/Desc: When this card attacks with an ATK that is higher than the DEF of your opponent's Defense Position monster, inflict the difference as Battle Damage to your opponent's Life Points.  
  
Trap Dustshoot: TRAP/Desc: You can activate this card only when your opponent has 4 or more cards in his/her hand. Look at your opponent's hand, then select 1 Monster Card and return it to its owner's Deck. The Deck is then shuffled.  
  
Harpie Lady: ****/1300/1400/Winged Beast Type  
  
Royal Tribute: MAGIC/Desc: This card can only be activated when your "Necrovalley" is active on the field. Both players must discard all monster cards in their hand to the Graveyard.  
  
Gravekeeper Chief: *****/1900/1200/Spellcaster Type/Desc: You can only have 1 face-up "Gravekeeper's Chief" on your side of the field at any time. As long as this card remains face-up on the field, "Necrovalley" does not affect your Graveyard. When you Tribute Summon this monster, you can Special Summon 1 monster that includes 'Gravekeeper's' in its name from your Graveyard.  
  
Dark Hole: MAGIC/Desc: Destroy all monsters on the field.  
  
Crass Clown: ****/1350/1400/Fiend Type/Desc: When this card is changed from Defense Position to Attack Position, return 1 monster on your opponent's side of the Field to the owner's hand.  
  
Petit Dragon: **/600/700/Dragon Type  
  
Final Option: MAGIC/Desc: This card can only be activated when you have 3 or more cards in your hand. All cards must be activated (not just played face-down), in return, restore all life points you have lost in the previous turn. However, if you do not activate all cards, lose 2000 life points.  
  
Yield Tribute: MAGIC/Desc: Chose to either Normal or Special Summon a monster from your hand. If you chose to Special Summon a monster, you must skip your battle phase.  
  
Hinotama Soul: **/600/500/Pyro Type  
  
Polymerization: MAGIC/Desc: Fuse 2 or more monsters to form a new Fusion Monster.  
  
Dragonite: ********/2700/2100/Dragon Type/Desc: Every time this monster attacks, place one counter on this monster.  
  
Beast of Talwar: ******/2400/2150/Fiend Type  
  
Mage Power: MAGIC/Desc: For every Magic and Trap Card on your side of the field, increase the ATK and DEF of the equipped monster by 500 points.  
  
Light and Dark Combo Attack: TRAP/Desc: Cut the attacking monster's strength in half, destroy it, and deal damage to the amount of attack points the monster had when it was destroyed. LIMITED: ONE PER DECK 


	5. Friendly Foes, Part 2: No Way Out

Disclaimer: See chapter 4 for details  
  
Chapter 5: Friendly Foes, Part 2: No Way Out  
  
"It's my move!" Mai declared. (And it may be my final one) "I summon Worm Drake (1400/1500) in defense mode and play two cards face down. I end my turn from here!" (Bring on your assault) thought Mai.  
  
"Not much of a move." Harpie Lady responded, drawing. "Dragonite attack Worm Drake now!" she commanded as the dragon unleashed an orange-yellow beam of energy (yes, much resembling Dragonite's Hyper Beam attack from Pokemon, I couldn't think of anything else..) (A/N: Don't watch Pokemon)  
  
"Wrong!" cried Mai as her face down card flipped up. "You've activated my trap card, Mirror Wall!" she yelled as a wall of ice created a barrier in front of Worm Drake, in which the energy blast hit and reflected off of it, draining Dragonite's strength to 1350.  
  
"But that's not all! Reveal magic card, Strength Transfer! And, whenever one of your monsters loses attack points, I gain two times the amount of attack points your monster lost!" Mai explained. (M's LP: 3300)  
  
"And things will keep on getting better than that! I switch Worm Drake into attack mode! Worm Drake attack and destroy Dragonite!" The worm crawled around Dragonite, squeezing it tightly and shattering it. (HL's LP: 3850)  
  
"My turn now!" Harpie Lady declared.  
  
"Not yet! Reveal my last face down card, Twister! This trap card will force you to skip your entire turn!" Mai explained, much to Harpie Lady's demise.  
  
"And now I summon Hibikime (1450/1000) in attack mode! Both of my monsters attack her life points directly!" Mai commanded as the worm tightly wrapped around Harpie Lady and Hibikime caused a loud screech, instantly damaging Harpie Lady badly. (HL's LP: 1000)  
  
"And next turn it'll be zero! That ends my turn!" Mai declared as Harpie Lady drew.  
  
(There couldn't have been a better time!) Harpie Lady thought. "I play a chain of magic cards that will destroy you from the inside-out!" she declared.  
  
"First, I activate the magic card, Death Beam!" she yelled as five white flames appeared in front of her. "You'll soon see the importance of these flames, but the magic card will destroy all monsters in 5 turns!" she explained, as Mai groaned.  
  
"I'll play these two cards face down and end my turn by summoning Mystical Elf (800/2000) in defense mode." She stated as Mai drew her next card.  
  
(Okay, all monsters will be destroyed in 5 turns, so, I can't lose any monsters if I don't play any. I can just set up magic and trap defenses, and my Mirror Wall will stop all of her attacks, so I'm all set up to win this duel. All I need is a life point damage magic card, or a monster that can wipe out Mystical Elf, but I don't have one. Just have to play it out.) She thought, picking up one card from her hand.  
  
"I'll play one card face down and en---" she began.  
  
"Not this time! I didn't play that Death Beam card for nothing! I activate my trap card, Forced Defense! This trap card will force you to summon a monster from your hand, or you lose 800 life points!" she gladly explained as Mai placed a monster on her plate.  
  
"But wait! Reveal my second trap card, Dark Revolt (impromptu name obviously) which forces you to lose half of the attack points of every monster you summon!" she explained happily.  
  
"Fine then, I'll play Red Archery Girl (1400/1500) in defense mode!" she declared. (M's LP: 2600).  
  
(Great. She's got me trapped. Now I'm forced to summon monsters, and if I don't then I lose 800 life points, and if I do summon a monster, I lose life points! Plus, all the monsters I summon will be destroyed in 4 turns!) Mai thought, sighing to herself.  
  
One of the white flames above Harpie Lady suddenly became black. "One turn down." She mocked, drawing.  
  
"I'll play one card face down and end my turn." She stated, as Mai drew.  
  
"Great. I'll play it safe." She thought, eyeing a card in your hand.  
  
"I'll play one card face down and end my turn!" she declared, as Harpie Lady grinned.  
  
"And thanks to your rule, I'll lose my 800 life points now!" she stated.  
  
"Hold on! Let's see your hand! You wouldn't want to cheat now would you?!" she yelled as Mai's hand holographically appeared.  
  
"Well, looks like you've been holding out on us Mai! You must summon your Tri Horned Dragon now!" Harpie Lady declared, pointing directly to the card as Mai groaned.  
  
"Fine then, I'll sacrifice Hibikime and Worm Drake to summon Tri-Horned Dragon!(2850/2350) " Mai shouted, as both monsters disappeared and a massive blue three horned dragon stood in it's place.  
  
"And thanks to my magic card, you lose 1425 life points! But lying does not come without a consequence! Your lying will cost you 500 extra life points, putting you in no position to win this duel!" Harpie Lady explained, much to Mai's demise (M's LP: 675)  
  
(But the one drawback she didn't realize is she ended her turn. What a fool. Destroying her wouldn't be worth my time.)  
  
"My move now!" Harpie Lady declared, eagerly snatching her next card. (Perfect! All I need is some life points and a couple of good draws and this duel will be mine without doubt! But I have to guard my life points for now, and also I've got other means of protection.) she thought, seeing the 2nd white flame turn into black.  
  
"I'll pass this turn!" she declared as Mai drew.  
  
"Now! I'll summon Cyber Falcon (1400/1200) in defense mode and end my turn!" Mai declared, watching the third flame instantly change.  
  
"My move again?!" Harpie Lady asked, as Mai snarled. "Temper, Temper. I'll play one card face down and that'll do it for me!" she stated.  
  
Mai drew again. "This is getting really old, but I have no monsters in my hand! NO! I'll lose the duel!" she started, but eyed something. "This will help."  
  
"I activate the magic card, Graceful Charity, which allows me to draw 3 cards and discard two from my hand!" she explained as she discarded two, and drew three.  
  
(Saved!) Mai thought. "I'll play Darkworld Thorns (1200/900) in defense mode and end my turn!" she declared, sighing heavily as the fourth flame faded to black.  
  
"One more turn!" Harpie Lady said, snatching her next card. (Yes! Just one more card I need to draw!)  
  
"I'll activate the magic card, Soul of the Pure, which will increase my life points by 800!" Harpie Lady declared, as an angel sent a light white beam covering her. (HL's LP: 1800)  
  
(Now, I've got one final card to draw!) Harpie thought, signaling her turn was over. Mai hastily drew.  
  
"I'll summon my last monster in my hand! Go, Skull Servant (300/200)" Mai said as a small specter appeared on the field.  
  
Harpie Lady burst out laughing. "You actually mean to tell me you keep a..SKULL SERVANT in your deck!? That has to be the weakest monster in the entire game of Duel Monsters!! I've never known a serious duelist that could even keep one in their sight! I mean I expected your deck to be pathetic, but if you whip out Skull Servants for me, I'd find it much more fun to destroy them one by one, but none the less Mai, your deck needs a giant tune up!"  
  
"SHUT UP!" Mai retorted.  
  
"Well..no matter. End your turn now!" she commanded.  
  
"Gladly. My turn ends now." Mai simply stated.  
  
Both duelists watched the fifth and final flame turn black. Then, all the flames united into a black flaming ring that twirled around in the sky above them, releasing a giant bolt of black electricity. The winds picked up higher and higher, and several smaller thunder bolts came from the huge bolt of black electricity, shattering all monsters on Mai's side of the field, before the small bolts, the huge bolt, and flaming ring all disappeared into the abyss.  
  
"And now that leaves your life points open to a wide attack! You've done well Mai, but I assure you this is the final move!"  
  
"Go, Celtic Guardian (1400/1200)!" Harpie Lady said. "And attack and destroy her! Goodbye Mai!" she yelled as the guardian charged at her, but hit a block of ice.  
  
"You've forgotten about my Mirror Wall trap card!" she yelled, as Celtic Guardian's strength went to 700.  
  
"And that's left your guardian as easy prey!" Mai declared, drawing her newest card. "I summon Cyber Harpie (1800/1400) in attack mode! Cyber Harpie, attack her weakened Celtic Guardian!" she declared as Harpie Lady went and easily sliced through the warrior. (HL's LP: 700)  
  
"And next turn it'll be zero, and this time I promise you that!" Mai proudly announced.  
  
"Foolish girl. It's now my turn! I'll activate the magic card, Monster Reborn! Revive my fallen Celtic Guardian!" Harpie Lady commanded as the magic card spat out her warrior.  
  
"And now I reveal Blood Transfusion, which will sacrifice half of my guardian's attack power, and add it to my life points!" she explained as Celtic Guardian was once again at 700. (HL's LP: 1400)  
  
"But then witness the powerful magic of my deck as I activate one last card, Restoration! This card has two powerful effects! One it will restore my monster's attack power back to 1400, and then it will destroy all active magic or trap cards that weaken my monster's attack points!" she explained cheerfully, as Mai heavily sighed, watching her Mirror Wall activate, and then shatter into pieces.  
  
"And now Mai, I guarantee you the end is near! For I reveal my deck master ability, allowing me to sacrifice 1000 life points, (HL's LP: 400) to triple my monster onto the field, so behold my 3 Celtic Guardians!" she announced as her monster spawned off two clones of itself, all with 1400/1200 stats.  
  
"And that's not the best of this duel yet Mai! For soon it will get much worse! And I can promise YOU that!" she mocked, laughing loudly.  
  
~~~~ CARDS PLAYED ~~~~  
  
Worm Drake: ****/1400/1500/Reptile Type  
  
Mirror Wall: TRAP/Desc: Cut any attacking monster's attack points in half.  
  
Strength Transfer: TRAP/Desc: You may only activate this card when a monster loses attack points. Increase your life points by two times the amount lost.  
  
Twister: TRAP/Desc: Your opponent skips their entire turn.  
  
Hibikime: ****/1450/1000/Warrior Type  
  
Death Beam: MAGIC/Desc: In five turns, all monsters on the field will be destroyed.  
  
Mystical Elf ****/800/2000/Spellcaster Type  
  
Forced Defense: TRAP/Desc: This trap card can only be activated while "Death Beam" is active. Your opponent must summon a monster (either face up or face-down) during every turn or they lose 800 life points. You may look at your opponents hand to require them to summon a monster if they do not summon one. If they are cheating, have them summon a monster and lose 500 life points. When "Death Beam" is sent to the graveyard, this card is also sent to the graveyard.  
  
Dark Revolt: TRAP/Desc: Your opponent loses half of the attack points of any monster they summon, from their life points.  
  
Red Archery Girl: ****/1400/1500/Aqua Type  
  
Tri-Horned Dragon: ********/2850/2350/Dragon Type  
  
Cyber Falcon: ****/1400/1200/Machine Type  
  
Graceful Charity: MAGIC/Desc: Draw 3 cards from your deck, then discard any 2 cards from your hand.  
  
Darkworld Thorns: ***/1200/900/Plant Type  
  
Soul of the Pure: MAGIC/Desc: Increase your life points by 800.  
  
Skull Servant: */300/200/Zombie Type  
  
Celtic Guardian: ****/1400/1200/Warrior Type  
  
Cyber Harpie: ****/1800/1400/Winged Beast Type  
  
Monster Reborn: MAGIC/Desc: Select 1 Monster Card from either your opponent's or your own Graveyard and place it on the field under your control in Attack or Defense Position (face-up). This is considered a Special Summon.  
  
Blood Transfusion: MAGIC/Desc: Sacrifice half of your monsters' points (from whichever mode it is in) and add them to your life points.  
  
Restoration: MAGIC/Desc: Restore all monsters' attack points to the way they originally were (not counting Equip Magic Cards) and, destroy all magic and trap cards that lower any of your monsters attack points. 


	6. Friendly Foes, Part 3: Offense Strike

Disclaimer: See Chapter 5 for details  
  
Chapter 6: Friendly Foes, Part 3: Offense Strike  
  
"It all ends here. But I am forced to end my turn, since you have your Cyber Harpie up." Harpie Lady stated as Mai drew.  
  
(That's right fool! Summon any monster in your entire deck! It won't make a difference. They may seem weak at first, but my Celtic Guardian's will soon be an unstoppable army!) Harpie Lady thought, and snickered to herself.  
  
(Perfect!) Mai thought-yelled (make sense to anyone else?) "I activate one of my personal favorite magic cards, Elegant Egotist, to summon 2 more Cyber Harpies! Now, my three Cyber Harpies, attack her Celtic Guardians and finish her off for good!" Mai commanded as the three harpies dove at a separate guardian.  
  
"You've just activated my trap card which I've been saving for this very opportunity! Go, my powerful Rapid Speed Attack! This trap sacrifices 500 attack points from my Celtic Guardian to MY CELTIC GUARDIAN!" Harpie Lady explained as Mai chuckled.  
  
"Big deal! You're still about to lose with one swipe of my Harpie's claws!" she boasted.  
  
"Not quite. For in activating my trap card, I can play this magic card to the field, Slashing Frenzy! It allows one of my monsters to attack all of yours!" she explained as Mai groaned.  
  
"And now, Celtic Guardian, destroy all 3 Cyber Harpie Sisters!" Harpie Lady commanded as the guardian chopped up all 3 in 3 slices. (M's LP: 375)  
  
"And end your turn so I can easily destroy your life points and you!!" she demanded.  
  
"Fine then, one card face down and that will end my turn!" stated Mai.  
  
(COME ON!) Harpie Lady repeated to herself as she nervously drew, but gracefully.  
  
(JACKPOT) she thought, snickering.  
  
"I'm about to easily wipe you out dear Mai. Let's face it, you lasted a good while, but I've been setting you up for trap after trap. And this is my final one. If you can survive this, then I know I'll lose the duel." She announced.  
  
"Prepare for a magic card that will ultimately seal your fate!" ~~~~~~ ELSEWHERE IN THIS VIRTUAL PLACE OR WHEREVER IT IS ~~~~~  
  
Tea was on a nice cool beach, the scenery was lovely, if only there was some. It was just sand, water, and the sun. Nothing else. She had been walking for about one hour now, hoping to run into one of her friends, or even a dueling challenge. Anything that would get her out of walking forever.  
  
As she kept getting closer she approached a building on a road that appeared from nowhere. She went inside.  
  
"Hello?" Tea asked, receiving no reply.  
  
"Hello!?" she asked again, moving to the second floor, discovering it wasn't a building, it was a mansion.  
  
"Great, now it could be days before I find a challenge." She muttered to herself and continued walking. There was no one on any level, but Tea couldn't help but feel she was being watched. Not by some game master in the real world, but as if someone were right behind her, watching her every move.  
  
"This place could go on forever!" she groaned, suddenly reaching an elevator.  
  
"It might be a trap, but what could hurt." She reassured herself, stepping inside. Immediately before she pressed even the "Door Close" button, the elevator shut itself up and began moving at a rapid pace up the mansion, as Tea watched the floor buttons.  
  
"15.16..17." she said, watching them going higher and faster.  
  
"62..67..71" she went on, and finally when it reached R it jerked itself to stop.  
  
"Whoa..nice ride." She joked, and stepped out of the opening doors where someone in complete black was standing, looking over the horizon, which now Tea saw as a luxurious coastline city.  
  
"May I help you?" the figure questioned  
  
"Umm..i guess. How do you get out of this place?! The elevator won't open and jumping off isn't a quite sensible idea." She responded.  
  
"To get out of "this place" you'll have to duel me! And win, which will not happen, so get ready Tea, this is the final fate of your soul!" the figure yelled.  
  
"I activate the magic card, Raizan Staff!" Harpie Lady declared as a giant lightning staff instantly equipped to one of the Celtic Guardians. "This little magic card adds 900 attack points to my Celtic Guardian, bringing it to 2300!" she explained. (And that's not all it will do!) Harpie Lady snickered to herself.  
  
"But luckily for you, my Raizan Staff magic card will force me to end my turn." She lied.  
  
(I could have finished her off easily, but I'll let her suffer. After all, revenge is a dish best served cold!) (A/N: Anyone who knows where that came from gains major house points)  
  
"My turn! Go! Healing Angel (2400/100) in attack mode! Attack her super- powered Celtic Guardian now!" Mai commanded as the angel drew back her golden arrow and shot it at the Celtic Guardian.  
  
"But, since I've called an attack, my life points go up 1000!" (M's LP: 1375)  
  
"And your Celtic Guardian is gone!" Mai declared, but as the arrow was about to strike the guardian, he knocked it out of his way with the Raizan Staff.  
  
"What?!" Mai yelled.  
  
"Simple. My Raizan Staff will protect my Celtic Guardian from all of your monster attacks and monster effects." Harpie Lady explained.  
  
"And since your Healing Angel attacked, it will go into defense mode!" she stated as the monster switched into a defensive stance.  
  
"Big deal! I'll use my monster's other effect! I can sacrifice her attack points and add them to my life points, so I'll sacrifice all 2400 to increase my life points!" Mai declared as a golden light shifted from the angel onto Mai. (M's LP: 3775)  
  
"Ok. Anyway, Celtic Guardian attack!" she commanded as the equipped monster slammed the staff against the ground, creating a circle of electricity above and below the Healing Angel. Both circles unleashed a deadly stream of lightning, shattering the angel on contact.  
  
"And now my two other Celtic Guardians attack her life points directly!" she added as her other swordsman charged directly at Mai.  
  
"Not this time sister! I activate my final face down card, Negate Attack!" Mai said as the vortex absorbed both attacks. "And that will end your battle phase!" Mai added on.  
  
"And now I draw." She stated, picking up her newest card. "Alright! I've got a match for your 3 monsters!" she declared, showing Harpie Lady and Elegant Egotist.  
  
"Look familiar? Go, Harpie Lady (1300/1400) and now I activate Elegant Egotist to triple you into the Harpie Lady Sisters (1950/2100)!" She said as her Harpie appeared then created two clones of herself.  
  
"And now Harpie Lady Sisters-" Mai began but noticed something.  
  
"How did that face down card get there?!" she wondered, referring to the previous turn when she had no cards face down.  
  
"Confused Mai? When my Raizan Staff unleashes its first attack, I can play one trap card from my graveyard face down." She explained as Mai tried to remember what traps she played.  
  
"She had that Light and Dark Combo Attack card, and the one that only Death Beam works with. And since she has no death beam, it must be Light and Dark Combo attack, so if I attacked, I'd lose!" Mai thought.  
  
"I end my turn!" Mai declared.  
  
"A smart move Mai. Not like it will make any difference, though. I'll still finish you off, but it'll just take longer. Anyway, I'll draw and then activate a second magic card that will crush you! I activate my Enryuu Staff!" she yelled as a giant red staff similar to the Raizan staff but glowing with deadly fire was equipped to her second Celtic Guardian. And this one holds another set of effects just like my Raizan Staff!" Harpie Lady explained. "But just like the other one my Celtic Guardian gains 900 attack points!"  
  
Now, all 3 of my monsters, attack a separate Harpie Lady!" Harpie Lady commanded as there was a regular slash, a lightning blast and the Enryuu equipped Celtic Guardian turned around and completed a vertical slash sending a direct wave of fire disintegrating one Harpie Lady. (M's LP: 1675)  
  
"Make your final move!" Harpie Lady commanded as Mai drew her card.  
  
(There's nothing I can do now, only stall for time but these two should help for now.) Mai thought. "I play Yield Tribute, allowing me to summon my Harpie's Pet Dragon (2000/2500) in defense mode." Mai announced as her red and black dragon made his grand appearance on the field, but soon folded his wings into a defensive stance.  
  
"That'll end my turn sweetie." Mai said. (This is going actually pretty well. I've got a 2500 defense monster, and unless she can pull something out this turn, which I highly doubt, I've got this duel won!) she thought, watching her opponent draw.  
  
"Well what do you know? I activate my third equip card, the deadly Shippuu which will equip to my final Celtic Guardian, raising him to 2300 as well as the others!" she voiced as a double edged polearm with swirling green wind around it was equipped to the final Celtic Guardian.  
  
"And now Mai prepare as I cast you into the dark abyss!"  
  
~~ ELSEWHERE~~  
  
And now Tea prepare as I cast you into the dark abyss!"  
  
~~~~~~~~ CARDS PLAYED ~~~~~~~~~  
  
Elegant Egotist: MAGIC/Desc: When there are 1 or more "Harpie Lady" or 1 or more "Cyber Harpie" cards on the field, you can Special Summon 1 "Harpie Lady" or "Harpie Lady Sisters" card from your hand or your Deck.  
  
Harpie Lady Sisters: ******/1950/2150/Winged Beast Type/Desc: This monster can only be Special Summoned with the Magic Card "Elegant Egotist".  
  
Rapid Speed Attack: TRAP/Desc: Sacrifice 500 attack points from one monster to give them to another monster.  
  
Slashing Frenzy: TRAP/Desc: One monster on your side of the field may attack all of your opponent's monsters.  
  
Raizan Staff: MAGIC/Desc: Equip this to one warrior monster with less than 2000 attack points. Increase this equipped monster's attack points by 900. When the equipped monster launches their FIRST attack, revive one trap card in your graveyard and place it face down on the field. In addition, a monster equipped with this card is immune to all monster attacks and monster effects.  
  
Healing Angel: ****/2400/100/Fairy Type/Desc: After attacking, this monster goes into defense mode. Also, you may sacrifice this monster's attack points to increase your life points by the amount sacrificed.  
  
Negate Attack: TRAP/Desc: When your opponent attacks with a monster, negate the attack and make your opponent's Battle Phase end.  
  
Harpie Lady: ****/1300/1400/Winged Beast Type  
  
Enryuu Staff: MAGIC/Desc: Equip this to one warrior monster with less than 2000 attack points. Increase the equipped monster's attack points by 900. When the equipped monster launches their FIRST attack, revive one monster card in your graveyard and play it in face down attack or defense mode. In addition, a monster equipped with this card is immune to all magic cards.  
  
Yield Tribute: MAGIC/Desc: Choose to either normal summon or special summon a monster from your hand onto the field. If you choose to special summon a monster, you must skip your battle phase.  
  
Harpie's Pet Dragon: *******/2000/2500/Dragon Type/Desc: Increase the ATK and DEF of this card by 300 points for each face-up "Harpie Lady" on the field.  
  
Shippuu: MAGIC/Desc: Equip this to one warrior monster with less than 2000 attack points. Increase the equipped monster's attack points by 900. When the equipped monster launches their FIRST attack, revive one magic card in your graveyard and summon it face down on the field. In addition, a monster equipped with this card is immune to all trap cards. 


	7. Friendly Foes, Part 4: Seizing Victory

Disclaimer: See Chapter 6 for Details  
  
Chapter 7: Friendly Foes, Part 4: Seizing Victory  
  
"You've only got one monster to defend you and luckily for you, it has 2500 defense points! Sadly, I'll play one card face down and that'll do it for me." Harpie Lady declared as Mai sighed.  
  
(I've got one monster. And this next draw could do everything) thought Mai, hesitating to draw. She finally did and was relieved. "Alright. I'll activate a trap card, Nourishment, which will add all of your monsters attack points and add them to my life points! (M's LP: 8575)  
  
"And to finish my turn, I'll play two cards face down."  
  
(NO! She gained 6900 life points! It'll be several turns before I can take her down. The only way to get to her life points is to go through that dragon. But that can't be too big of an obstacle.) she thought, drawing her next card. (Just in time.)  
  
"I activate the magic card Thunder Orb! This magic card will attach to my Raizan Staff and increase my Celtic Guardian's attack power to 2800! And now attack and destroy her dragon!" Harpie Lady commanded while the swordsman struck the ground releasing the two portals of electricity, shocking and destroying the dragon.  
  
"And now my remaining two monsters, attack her life points directly." (That'll do just over half damage and render her in no condition to block my oncoming onslaught!)  
  
"Wait one second, reveal trap card, Magic Arm Shield! This trap will instantly grab your flamed Celtic Guardian and put him directly in the path of your wind attack.  
  
"Wrong Mai! I reveal my set counter-trap, Battle Change! This little trap will let me switch the target of your trap card to my wind equipped Celtic Guardian!" she explained as Mai scoffed.  
  
"In case you've forgotten, your monster is immune to traps!" she retorted as Harpie Lady shook her head.  
  
"Always 2 steps behind. On the contrary Mai the target of my trap is my second Celtic Guardian!" she yelled as the two cards instantly switched places and Magic Arm Shield vanished.  
  
"And just like you remembered, your trap will not harm my monster, so my monsters can continue their destruction upon your life points!" she added as the line of fire and swirling tornado inswirled Mai. She screamed in pain. (M's LP: 3975)  
  
"I end my turn from here." Harpie Lady stated as Mai barely got to her feet. (Come on Mai. You can do this. Just draw one really good card. Something to destroy her monsters!) Mai repeated to herself, drawing her next card with sure confidence. (Just what I needed!)  
  
"Activate the magic card, Soul Exchange! And, I will sacrifice your two monsters that are not immune to magic cards to summon this. Go, Raigeki Beast! (2450/2450)!" Mai shouted as the two monsters intertwined on Mai's field and released a beast composed of pure blue lightning was summoned forth.  
  
Suddenly, one bolt of blue lightning struck down and vaporized the remaining Celtic Guardian.  
  
"Wha?!?!" Harpie Lady instantly shouted.  
  
"Simple. When it is summoned, my Raigeki Beast destroys all of your monster cards." Mai gladly explained.  
  
"What kind of trick is this?! You destroyed all three of my Celtic Guardians in just one move?!? HOW?!! But, you must end your turn!" she reluctantly added as Mai rolled her eyes.  
  
"I know that, so I'll end it now." Mai said.  
  
Harpie Lady drew. "I'll play Humanoid Slime (800/2000) in defense mode and end my turn." She stated as a plasma monster appeared in front of her.  
  
"Raigeki Beast, destroy it now!" Mai commanded as the dragon unleashed a strong stream of electricity, which blew up the plasma monster. "And I'll play one card face down and end my turn."  
  
Harpie Lady drew her next card. "I activate Polymerization to fuse the Gaia the Fierce Knight and Curse of Dragon in my hand to summon Gaia the Dragon Champion (2600/2100)!  
  
"Now my dragon champion, attack her beast!" she commanded as the dragon flew in and Gaia struck it, shattering it. (M's LP: 3825)  
  
Mai drew her next card. True, she had a tough beast to take down, and with level four monsters or below, it wouldn't be exactly easy pickings.  
  
"I'll summon my Lady of Faith (1100/800) in defense mode and activate a trap card, Multiple Destruction, forcing both of us to discard our hands and draw new ones, but at the cost of 100 life points per card for me." Mai explained as she discarded her entire hand. (M's LP: 3425)  
  
Then, Harpie Lady discarded hers and they both drew 5 cards. (Perfect!) Mai thought, placing a magic card on her plate. "I activate a powerful magic card, Tribute Doll, which will let me sacrifice Lady of Faith to summon my Mystical Knight of Jackal (2700/1200)  
  
"Luckily for you, I can't attack this turn. So, I'll play one card face down and end my turn."  
  
"My turn!" Harpie Lady stated as she snatched her newest card. "Finally. I think I'll switch my dragon champion into defense mode and play Ninja (600/1600) in defense mode as well." She simply stated.  
  
"My move then. Mystical Knight of Jackal, attack her dragon champion!" Mai commanded as the knight sliced the dragon champion in half with its powerful sword.  
  
"And I'll end my turn by playing two cards face down." Mai added as the knight returned to its normal stance.  
  
"Draw!" Harpie Lady declared as she swiftly picked up her next card and smiled. "And now this duel will be over!" she declared.  
  
"And with these few cards! First, I activate my trap, Sorcerer's Tools, which forces me to discard all but one monster or trap card in my hand, and I pick up all cards until I have 5 magic cards in my hand." Harpie Lady explained as she discarded 3 cards and picked up her deck and grabbed the first 4 magic cards from it.  
  
"Moving on, I will activate the magic card, Invisible Wire, which will destroy any monsters you have with more than 2000 attack points!" she yelled as a clear set of wires wrapped up and vaporized the knight.  
  
"I summon Pincer Scissors (800/800) in defense mode who will automatically summon Extreme Striker (1800/1500) in attack mode, and I'll equip him with my equip card Demon's Sword, raising his attack by 1000. And since my monster can attack twice, I'll blow your life points away! Goodbye Mai!" she announced.  
  
"Extreme Striker, attack Mai's life points directly!" Harpie Lady commanded as the knight launched in the air, ready to strike down Mai.  
  
"Reveal my trap card, Desperate Revival, to summon back my monster with half of its attack strength, bringing it to 1350." She explained.  
  
"Nice plan Mai. Saving your life points, but next turn I'll destroy you." She growled.  
  
"There will be no more next turns! This duel is over, for now I activate my last trap card, Dark Spirit of the Silent , which I will use to force your Pincer Scissors to attack my Mystical Knight of Jackal!" she commanded as the scissors leaped at the knight who in response swung its sword, smacking the scissors away, and shattering the monster.  
  
"No! How could I lose??!! ME!!" screamed Harpie Lady.  
  
"Wait?! No, the rocks!" she added as a reaction caused a rockslide leading directly to the Harpie Lady. At the last second she flew up, and glared at Mai in the sky. "You may have won this duel Mai, but you haven't seen the last of me! I will be back!" she yelled as she flew off and digitized in mid-air.  
  
"Whew" was Mai's only word. (Now I've got the task of getting out of here.) she thought, but just as she finished, a portal appeared. (Well, it beats walking.) she thought and jumped directly in it.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~ CARDS PLAYED ~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Nourishment: TRAP/Desc: Add up all of your opponents monsters attack points and add them to your life points.  
  
Thunder Orb: MAGIC/Desc: This card can only be activated if "Raizan Staff" is on the field. Increase the monster equipped with "Raizan Staff"'s attack power by 500 points.  
  
Magic Arm Shield: TRAP/Desc: Place one of your opponent's monsters in place of your opponent's attack.  
  
Battle Change: TRAP/Desc: Change the target of a trap card to another one of your monsters.  
  
Soul Exchange: MAGIC/Desc: Select an opponent's monster and use it as a Tribute in place of one of your own. You must skip your Battle Phase for the turn in which this card is activated.  
  
Raigeki Beast: ********/2450/2450/Thunder Type/Desc: When this monster is summoned (Normal or Special) destroy all of your opponent's face up monsters.  
  
Humanoid Slime: ****/800/2000/Aqua Type  
  
Polymerization: MAGIC/Desc: Fuses 2 or more monsters to form a new Fusion Monster.  
  
Gaia the Dragon Champion: *******/2600/2100/Dragon/Fusion Type/Desc: "Gaia the Fierce Knight" + "Curse of Dragon"  
  
Lady of Faith: ***/1100/800/Spellcaster Type  
  
Tribute Doll: MAGIC/Desc: Activate this card by offering a monster on your side of the field as a Tribute. Special Summon 1 Level 7 monster from your hand. That monster cannot attack this turn.  
  
Mystical Knight of Jackal: *******/2700/1200/Beast-Warrior Type/Desc: You can return your opponent's own monster that is sent to the Graveyard by this monster as a result of battle to the top of his/her Deck.  
  
Ninja: ***/600/1600/Fiend Type  
  
Sorcerers Tools: TRAP/Desc: Discard all but one monster or trap card to the graveyard, and pick up (not draw) your entire deck, add magic cards until you have 5 cards in your hand. Your deck is then shuffled.  
  
Invisible Wire: TRAP/Desc: Destroy one of your opponent's monsters with more than 2000 attack points.  
  
Pincer Scissors: ****/800/800/Insect Type/Desc: Every turn this monster is in face up defense position, you may activate one of the following effects: 1) Summon one "Extreme Striker" from your hand to the field, or 2) Place one "Extreme Striker" from your deck or graveyard into your hand.  
  
Extreme Striker: ******/1800/1500/Fiend Type/Desc: This monster may attack twice during your battle phase.  
  
Demon's Sword: MAGIC/Desc: Increase one DARK type monster's attack points by 1000 points.  
  
Desperate Revival: TRAP/Desc: Revive one monster that has been destroyed in the previous three turns to the field, with half of its attack strength.  
  
Dark Spirit of the Silent: TRAP/Desc: This card can only be activated during your opponent's Battle Step. Negate the attack of 1 monster and select another 1 of your opponent's face-up monsters and have it attack. If the new-targeted attacking monster is in face-up Defense Position, change it to Attack Position. 


	8. United We Stand, Part 1: Coming Together

Disclaimer: See Chapter 7 for Details  
  
Chapter 8: United We Stand, Part 1: Coming Together  
  
"Well Tea, are you ready to begin this duel? Well, you will be once you have chosen your deck master!" he yelled as Tea grabbed her deck and started searching through it.  
  
(This card has a pretty good effect, so it must have a better deck master effect.) She thought, selecting one card and then shuffling her deck. "My deck master will be Hysteric Fairy!" Tea declared as a fairy shot out of the card and stood next to her.  
  
"And since I have taken the form of my deck master." he began, throwing off his cloak to reveal a medium sized machine. "I am Union Rider! And now that the introductions are over, this duel can begin!" Union Rider announced as the life point counters soared to 4000. Both duelists drew their opening hands.  
  
"Now I'll start off this duel, and summon my Freezing Beast (1500/1000) in attack mode. Next, I'll play this one card face down and that will end my turn." Union Rider told.  
  
Tea drew. "Not too shabby. I summon The Forgiving Maiden (850/2000) in defense mode and play one card face down as well and end my move." She stated as Union Rider instantly drew.  
  
"Now, I summon Burning Beast (1500/1000) and reveal the magic card, Stop Defense, to force your monster into attack mode!" he laughed as the maiden stood out and prepared for battle.  
  
"And now my Freezing Beast, destroy her weak maiden!" Union Rider commanded as the dragon launched a stream of ice, instantly freezing and shattering the maiden. "And now Burning Beast, burn through her life points!" The second beast unleashed a stream of fire that circled around Tea, burning her but nothing severe. (T's LP: 1850)  
  
(Note to self. Don't let that happen again.) Tea thought as Union Rider ended his turn.  
  
Tea drew her next card. "Go, Faith Bird (1500/1100) in attack mode, and next I'll equip him with the magic card, Follow Wind, to increase his strength and defense by 300 points. Now attack his Burning Beast!" she commanded as the bird unleashed a mystical light, blinding the creature, and then diving at it, smashing it with it's beak. (UR's LP: 3700)  
  
"Wow Tea, I'm impressed. You actually managed to make me lose 300 life points. Dear me, 300 WHOLE life points. I think I'm not strong enough to take on the likes of you." Union Rider mocked as he drew his next card.  
  
(Not what I need.) He thought, (But I know just how to get it,) he added snickering at the last part.  
  
"I'll reveal my Deck Master Ability now, as long as I have a union monster in my hand, I can summon another one from my deck." He explained as his deck shot out the card he wanted.  
  
"And now Tea, I summon Dark Blade (1800/1500) in attack mode, and next I'll use De-Spell to destroy your pathetic equip card," he announced as the card shot out a blue beam at the card, making it vanish.  
  
"Now Dark Blade, attack Faith Bird now!" Union Rider commanded as the demon held its sword above its head, and sliced directly vertical on the bird. (T's LP: 1550)  
  
"Now, Freezing Beast, destroy her!" he added as the beast unleashed a stream of ice surrounding Tea, and then he burst through it, sending ice chunks everywhere. (T's LP: 50)  
  
"And now I'll put this on the field, the trap known as Phantom Realm, whose effect I'll explain when it's more appropriate." Union Rider teased. "But for now, make another one of your losing moves."  
  
(Okay Tea, you have to get into full destruction mode. This guy has to go down, and I need a card to do that for me.) Tea thought, as she hesitated to draw her next card, but her mind flashbacked to the time right before Yugi dueled Kaiba for the very first time, and she remembered her friendship symbol she marked on everyone's hand and knew that no matter what her friends would always stand beside her. She pictured them right next to her.  
  
"You can do it. Just trust in the heart of the cards!" Yugi cheered.  
  
"Yeah Tea, we're right here next to you!" Joey shouted.  
  
"Just believe in yourself, there's nothing but success ahead!" Tristan added, before all of her friends images faded away.  
  
"I'm not losing!" Tea declared as she confidently drew.  
  
(Perfect!) she thought. "I play World Healing! This magic card will return my life points to normal!" Tea explained as a shower of sparkling rain came over her. (T's LP: 4000)  
  
"No! I was so close to finishing you off, it would have been so easy!" Union Rider bellowed.  
  
"Well, you're just going to have to start all over again!" Tea chuckled.  
  
"No matter." He quickly retorted. "It was easy the first time, it can only be easier the second time."  
  
"Wrong. I can guarantee you it'll be much harder! But anyway, I'll summon one monster in defense mode." Tea announced.  
  
Union Rider drew. "I'll play Pitch-Dark Dragon (900/600) and now I reveal the power of union! Come together my Pitch-Dark Dragon and Dark Blade!" he commanded so that Pitch-Dark Dragon formed with Dark Blade. (2200/1900)  
  
"Finally, Dark Blade attack her face down card!" he commanded as a lady with a harp was revealed, before getting sliced up by Dark Blade.  
  
"And thanks to my union effect, you lose the difference points between my attack and your defense!" he added. (T's LP: 3800)  
  
"And I think I'll save this face down card for later." He continued, as a card appeared.  
  
"Now would be a really good time to get on the offence Tea." He said. "End of move." He simply added on.  
  
Tea drew. (All right!) "I activate a magic card, Yield Tribute, which lets me summon a high power monster without sacrificing tributes!" she explained as Union Rider rolled his eyes.  
  
"I know what the card does!!" he burst.  
  
"Well then, I'll play Wingweaver (2750/2400) in attack mode. Now Wingweaver, attack and destroy Dark Blade!" Tea commanded as the fairy released a glowing white ball of matter, enveloping the demon.  
  
"Wait one minute. What. Is. This?. A. Trap Card! Reveal, Sanctuary Orb! This trap card will protect my demon from being destroyed, I may take battle damage but my monster will remain on the field." He explained, as at the last moment a blue orb surrounded the union monster protecting it from the deadly force. (UR's LP: 3150)  
  
"My move then." He declared, drawing his next card. "I'll reveal the use of Phantom Realm now!" he yelled as a purple ghastly fog emitted from the card. "It will allow me to revive one magic card from either graveyard, but once I use it, it will be removed from play. So, I'll snatch your Yield Tribute card!" he yelled as the Phantom Realm transformed into a Yield Tribute, to summon Kiryu (2000/1500) in attack mode. And now, I once again show you the power of Union!" and with those words all three monsters clamped together. (I know that's not how the thing works, but I needed to modify it) Now my Dark Blade has 900 more attack points, giving it a grand total of 3100.  
  
"Now smash through her magical witch!" he commanded as the monster flew up (thanks to Pitch-Dark Dragon) and sliced through the fairy. (T's LP: 3450)  
  
"There! Just another easy victory for me. I'm cursed with good dueling abilities I'm afraid." Union Rider teased.  
  
"Watch out! I play two cards face down and then summon Beautiful Headhuntress (1600/800) to the field in defense mode. My turn ends." Tea announced.  
  
(Play defense. I'll destroy your cards and life points. Play offense. I'll destroy them too. There is no way to stop my army of union monsters and me! We will both cast you into darkness!) Union Rider thought smirking.  
  
"Now Dark Blade attack her Headhuntress and diminish her life points!" he commanded as the monster ran at the woman.  
  
"Not this time! I reveal my trap card! Go, Magic Cylinder!" Tea yelled as the card flipped up and two cylinders appeared in front of Beautiful Headhuntress. Dark Blade ran directly into one and came out of the other, slicing directly at Union Rider.  
  
"What?!" he shrieked as he was blown back a few feet, to the edge of the roof. After carefully regaining his balance he walked back to his post and if Tea could see the rage and anger in his eyes, she would faint. (UR's LP: 50)  
  
"Don't think you're about to toss me aside Tea Gardner, I am nowhere near finished with you. My union deck will overwhelm and destroy you! You can't escape me so easily, for my next move will blow you and your life points away!" he laughed, as Tea sighed and became worried.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CARDS PLAYED ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
~~~~Deck Masters ~~~~  
  
Union Rider: **/1000/1000/Machine Type/Desc: You can take a Union Monster that is currently a monster on your opponent's side of the field and equip it to this card. This monster can only be equipped with 1 Union Monster as at a time. The Union Monster that is equipped to this card cannot be changed back to a monster by its own effect/ Deck Master Ability: If you have one Union Type monster in your hand, you may summon one union monster from your deck to your hand. This ability may only be used once per turn. Hysteric Angel: ****/1800/500/Fairy/Desc: Offer 2 monsters on your side of the field as a Tribute to increase your Life Points by 1000 points. Monsters used for a Tribute Summon or that are offered as Tributes due to other cards' effects are excluded/Deck Master Ability: You may sacrifice one monster on the field to increase your life points by 500.  
  
~~~~~ Regular Monsters ~~~~~  
  
Freezing Beast: ****/1500/1000/Aqua/Union Type/Desc: Once per turn, during your Main Phase, if you control this monster on the field, you can equip it to your "Burning Beast" as an Equip Spell Card OR change it back to a monster in face-up Attack Position. When equipped to a monster by this card's effect, each time that monster inflicts Battle Damage to your opponent, destroy 1 facedown Spell or Trap Card on the field. (1 monster can only be equipped with 1 Union Monster at a time. If the monster that this card is equipped to is destroyed in battle, this card is destroyed instead.)  
  
The Forgiving Maiden: ****/850/2000/Fairy Type/Desc; Offer this face-up card as a Tribute to return 1 of your monsters destroyed in battle during this turn to your hand.  
  
Burning Beast: ****/1500/1000/Pyro/Union Type/Desc: Once per turn, during your Main Phase, if you control this monster on the field, you can equip it to your "Freezing Beast" as an Equip Spell Card OR change it back to a monster in face-up Attack Position. When equipped to a monster by this card's effect, each time that monster inflicts Battle Damage to your opponent, destroy 1 face-up Spell or Trap Card on the field. (1 monster can only be equipped with 1 Union Monster at a time. If the monster that this card is equipped to is destroyed in battle, this card is destroyed instead.)  
  
Stop Defense: MAGIC/Desc: Select 1 of your opponent's monsters and switch it to Attack Position. If the card is facedown, flip it face-up. If the card has a flip effect, it is activated immediately.  
  
Faith Bird: ****/1500/1100/Winged Beast Type  
  
Follow Wind: MAGIC/Desc: A Winged Beast-Type monster equipped with this card increases its ATK and DEF by 300 points.  
  
Dark Blade: ****/1800/1500/Warrior Type  
  
Phantom Realm: TRAP/Desc: Once per turn, you may revive and immediately activate one magic card in either player's graveyard. If the card is not activated immediately, send it back to the respective graveyard. Once the card is activated, it is removed from play. LIMITED: ONE PER DECK  
  
World Healing: MAGIC/Desc: Restore your life points back to normal: LIMITED: ONE PER DECK Pitch Dark Dragon: ***/900/600/Dragon/Union Type/Desc: Once per turn, during your Main Phase, if you control this monster on the field, you can equip it to your "Dark Blade" as an Equip Spell Card OR change it back to a monster in face-up Attack Position. When equipped to a monster by this card's effect, that monster's ATK/DEF is increased by 400 points, and when it attacks with an ATK that is higher than the DEF of a Defense Position Monster, inflict the difference as Battle Damage to your opponent's Life Points. (1 monster can only be equipped with 1 Union Monster at a time. If the Monster that this card is equipped to is destroyed in battle, this card is destroyed instead.)  
  
Yield Tribute: MAGIC/Desc: Choose to either Normal or Special Summon 1 monster from your hand. If you chose to Special Summon, skip your Battle Phase.  
  
Wingweaver: *******/2750/2400/Fairy Type  
  
Sanctuary Orb: TRAP/Desc: This card can only be activated during your opponent's battle phase. Select one monster on your field. The selected monster cannot be destroyed due to battle. Battle Damage still applies.  
  
Kiryu: *****/2000/1500/Dragon/Union/Desc: Once per turn, during your Main Phase, if you control this monster on the field, you can equip it to your "Dark Blade" as an Equip Spell Card OR change it back to a monster in face- up Attack Position. When equipped to a monster by this card's effect, that monsters ATK/DEF is increased by 900 points, and you can offer this card as a Tribute to allow the equipped monster to attack the opponent's Life Points directly this turn. (1 monster can only be equipped with 1 Union Monster at a time. If the Monster that this card is equipped to is destroyed in battle, this card is destroyed instead.)  
  
Beautiful Headhuntress: ****/1600/800/Warrior Type  
  
Magic Cylinder: TRAP/Desc: Negate the attack of 1 of your opponent's monsters and inflict Direct Damage equal to the attacking monster's ATK to your opponent's Life Points. 


	9. United We Stand, Part 2: Divided They Fa...

Disclaimer: See Chapter 8 for Details  
  
Chapter 9: United We Stand, Part 2: Divided They Fall  
  
"I know just how to get back on my feet. Now, Phantom Realm trap card, revive her World Healing!" he commanded as the ghastly fog shot out the card, which in turn, sent a wave of sparkling rain on Union Rider. (UR's LP: 4000)  
  
"And now it's removed from play, so this will be the final round of this duel, and my revenge!" Union Rider yelled as Tea drew.  
  
"Save it! I play one card face down and now I'll sacrifice my Beautiful Headhuntress to summon Black Magician Girl (2000/1700) in defense mode!" Tea declared as the monster shattered and a magician dressed in blue and pink smiled and winked, twirled around for a second and took her proper place.  
  
"Now, I'll place one card face down and end my turn." Tea added and sighed.  
  
"I'll draw." Union Rider announced. "And now Dark Blade, attack and destroy her pathetic magical fairy!" he commanded as the demon chopped the magician vertically down the middle.  
  
"And I reveal my face down magic card, Revenge Sacrifice! I will destroy your Dark Blade and equipped monsters!" Tea began. "And I can freely summon a monster from my hand, so I'll take the opportunity to summon Mikazukinoyaiba (2200/2350) in attack mode." She finished as a dragon warrior appeared on the field, carrying a crescent shaped sword.  
  
"And now my monster, attack his life points directly!" she commanded as the warrior sent a rushing air wave at Union Rider with its sword blowing him back a bit. (UR's LP: 1800)  
  
"Heh! And Tea strikes back! Oh yeah!" She cheered.  
  
"Don't celebrate for long! For now I play the magic card, Last Tactic, which allows me to summon any monsters from my hand with less than 500 attack points, so I'll summon Aitsu (100/100) and Koitsu (200/100)! And don't be fooled by their power, now I will show you my strongest union monster! Koitsu, attach to Aitsu!" Union Rider commanded as both monsters came together, to reveal a water and fire fairy.  
  
"And this comes for a very handy plot twist. For you see, when together, my Aitsu gains 3000 attack points, placing it at 3100. Now Aitsu, attack Mikazukinoyaiba!" he yelled, pointing at the target. The monsters unleashed streams of fire and water, blowing away the warrior. (T's LP: 2550)  
  
(This just keeps getting worse. 3100 attack points! No monster in my deck can beat that!) She thought, and heavily sighed.  
  
(Wait Tea!) A voice told her, whose voice she almost instantly recognized as Yugi's. (Tea, don't forget. For his monster only has high attack points if they can stay together, you have to find a way to get and keep them separated.) Yugi told the girl, who closed her eyes and drew.  
  
(Wow!) "Get ready because now I play the magic card Separation Spell!" Tea yelled as a strong golden globe of energy hurled itself at Aitsu, which upon being hit separated from Koitsu.  
  
"What have you done?!" Union Rider growled.  
  
"I found a way around your "unbeatable" union monsters. They can only be strong if they unite! So, my separation spell does just what its name says, it keeps all monsters separate. I've just destroyed the heart of your deck!" Tea declared. "And now to rid the field of your monster, go Fairy's Gift (1400/1000), and attack his Aitsu!" she commanded as the fairy waved her wand sprinkling pixie dust which vaporized the flaming fairy. (UR's LP: 500)  
  
"I WILL NOT LOSE THIS DUEL!" He instantly remarked and drew. (Hmm) he thought. "Not all of my monsters may be union types, I've also got these. Go, Skilled White Magician (1700/1900)! And next I'll activate the trap known as Pitch-Black Power Stone!" he announced as a giant black gem with three black flames appeared on the field. "And, once per turn, I can transfer one of these flames to my Skilled White Magician." Union Rider explained as one flame disappeared and soon reappeared above the magician's head.  
  
"And now I activate Pot of Greed to draw two cards, and by activating a magic card, my Skilled White Magician will gain a magic counter." Union Rider stated as a second flame, but white, appeared over the magician's head.  
  
"Finally, Skilled White Magician attack Fairy's Gift now!" he commanded as the magician shot a white blast at the fairy, disintegrating her instantly. (T's LP: 2250)  
  
"And I'll place three cards face down to end my move." He said, baiting Tea.  
  
(Three cards. One of them has got to be a trap.) she thought, drawing. (Great, no cards in my hand can stop traps, and I can't let him keep that mage on the field. I've just got to hope for the best.) "I summon Throwstone Unit (900/2000) in attack mode! Next, I'll activate Shield and Sword, which will switch all of our monsters' attack and defense points!" Tea said as the card worked it's magic. (A/N: give me a break) (Throwstone Unit: 2000/900, Skilled White Magician (1900/1700)  
  
"And now Throwstone Unit!" Tea began and hesitated to finish. "Attack his monster!" The monster dove at the magician.  
  
"Just your luck! Activate Spiritualistic Medium!" Union Rider announced. "My magic card allows me to discard cards from my hand to increase my monster's attack points. So, I'll discard one card to increase my monster's points by 500 points! Now, Skilled White Magician (2400/1700) attack and wipe out her soldier!" he commanded and right before the sword hit the magician flung his sword away and shot the white blast, vaporizing the monster.  
  
"Now your last defense is gone! And since I activated a magic card, my magician gains another magic counter! End your turn so I can win this duel!" Union Rider commanded as a second white flame appeared above the magician.  
  
"Fine, I'll play my last magic or trap card face down and end my move." Tea said.  
  
"About time. Look Tea, you've been a good sport but you just couldn't keep up with the rest of us. Now, Skilled White Magician (1700/2400) attack her life points directly!" Union Rider commanded as the magician unleashed another white blast, hitting Tea hard in the stomach. (T's LP: 550)  
  
(Note to self: That hurt.) Tea thought getting to her feet. She drew quickly. "Alright!" she started with new determination, "I will summon Great Angus (1800/1600) in attack mode and have him attack your monster!" Tea declared while the angus shot a flaming star at the magician.  
  
"One last trick Tea! Reverse trap card, Miracle Restoring, which allows me to sacrifice my magic counters and my magician" Union Rider began as the two white flames disappeared. "to summon a Buster Blader or Black Magician from my graveyard!" he explained as his graveyard slot shot out a card.  
  
"But wait! You didn't play a Buster Blader or Black Magician!" Tea retorted.  
  
"On the contrary. But don't you remember when I sacrificed a monster for Spiritualistic Medium? Well, say hello to that monster!" he responded as he slapped a card down on the monster card plate. "I reveal Black Magician (2500/2100)!" he declared as the tall mage in red revive itself in a white coffin.  
  
"Now for my second trap card, Magnetic Pulse Wave, which will force your monster to attack my strongest monster on the field, namely Black Magician. So Black Magician, counter attack and win me this duel!" Union Rider declared as the mage fired a stream of black magic at the flaming beast ready to strike it down.  
  
"Hold on! You've activated my trap card!" Tea said as if it were the best move in the world. "Mask of Weakness!" A pink mask flew onto the Black Magician's stomach, weakening it painfully. "Your monster loses an ironic 700 attack points, so both cards will be destroyed!" she yelled as the black magic wiped out Great Angus and the flaming star disentigrated Black Magician.  
  
"NO!" he yelled and unfortunately ended his turn.  
  
"This is it!" Tea declared. "Go, Blue Winged Crown (1600/1200) and burn through the rest of his life points!" she commanded and the winged monster shot an array of white flames burning through and melting Union Rider. (UR's LP: 0)  
  
"And that takes care of you!" Tea announced as the Platinum Disks shut themselves off. The elevator instantly opened and Tea ran inside it. It lowered at a reasonable pace, and when she reached the bottom there was an elegant sports car waiting for her.  
  
(Anything beats walking) she thought and hoped in, turned it on (the keys were in the ignition) and started to drive but the car sped off before Tea even got her hands on the steering wheel. (Great another trap.) she thought and let the car speed off wherever it was headed.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CARDS PLAYED ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Black Magician Girl: ******/2000/1700/Spellcaster Type/Desc: Increase the ATK of this monster by 300 points for each "Dark Magician" or "Magician of Black Chaos" in either player's Graveyard.  
  
Revenge Sacrifice: MAGIC/Desc: When your opponent destroys one of your monsters during battle, destroy your opponent's monster and special summon 1 monster from your hand.  
  
Mikazukinoyaiba: *******/2200/2350/Dragon Type  
  
Last Tactic: MAGIC/Desc: During this turn, you may special summon any monsters with less than 500 attack points.  
  
Aitsu: *****/100/100/Fairy Type  
  
Koitsu: **********/200/100/Fairy/Union Type/Desc: Once per turn during your Main Phase, if your control this monster on the field, you can equip it to your "Aitsu" as an Equip Spell Card OR change it back to a monster in face- up Attack Position. When equipped to a monster by this card's effect, that 3000 points increase monster's ATK/DEF and when it attacks with an ATK that is higher then the DEF of a Defense Position monster, inflict the difference as Battle Damage to your opponent's Life Points. (1 monster can only be equipped with 1 Union Monster at a time. If the monster that this card is equipped to is destroyed in battle, this card is destroyed instead.)  
  
Separation Spell: MAGIC/Desc: While this card is face up no "Polymerization" cards may be activated, and no union monsters may join together. In addition, return all fusion monster cards to the fusion deck and special summon the fusion material monsters. Also, separate all union monsters into their original monsters.  
  
Fairy's Gift: ****/1400/1000/Spellcaster Type  
  
Skilled White Magician: ****/1700/1900/Spellcaster Type/Desc: Each time you or your opponent activates 1 Spell Card, put 1 Spell Counter on this card (max 3). You can Special Summon 1 "Buster Blader" from your hand, Deck, or Graveyard in face-up Attack or Defense Position by offering this monster with 3 Spell Counter as a Tribute during your Main Phase.  
  
Pitch-Black Power Stone: TRAP/Desc: After activation, put 3 Spell Counters on this card. During each of your turns you can move 1 of this card's Spell Counters to another face-up card on the field that you can put a Spell Counter on. When there are no Spell Counters on this card this card is destroyed.  
  
Pot of Greed: MAGIC/Desc: Draw two cards from your deck.  
  
Throwstone Unit: ****/900/2000/Warrior Type/Desc: Offer 1 Warrior-Type monster on your side of the field as a Tribute to destroy 1 face-up monster on the field whose DEF is equal to or lower than the ATK of this monster.  
  
Shield and Sword: MAGIC/Desc: For 1 turn, each face-up monster's original ATK becomes their original DEF and vice-versa. Monsters summoned after this card's activation are excluded.  
  
Spiritualistic Medium: MAGIC/Desc: Once activated, you may discard cards from your hand. Increase one monster on the field's attack power by 500 for each discarded card.  
  
Great Angus: ****/1800/1600/Beast Type  
  
Miracle Restoring: TRAP/Desc: Remove 2 Spell Counters on your side of the field. Special Summon 1 "Black Magician" or "Buster Blader" from your Graveyard in face-up Attack or Defense Position.  
  
Black Magician: *******/2500/2100/Spellcaster Type  
  
Magnetic Pulse Wave: TRAP/Desc: This card can only be activated during your opponent's battle phase. Switch the target of the attack to the monster with the highest attack on your side of the field.  
  
Mask of Weakness: TRAP/Desc: This card can only be activated in the Battle Phase. Select 1 attacking monster and decrease the selected monster's ATK by 700 points during the turn this card is activated.  
  
Blue Winged Crown: ****/1600/1200/Winged Beast Type 


	10. Stunt Boat Challenge

Disclaimer: See Chapter 9 for Details  
  
Chapter 10: Stunt Boat Challenge  
  
"Great. No one in that direction, or this one, or anywhere for miles!" Joey Wheeler complained as he walked along the meadow he was trapped in. Suddenly he found relief, coming to a large lake with many rivers flowing from it.  
  
"Perfect. Time to freshen up! I've been trapped here way too long." He stated. Suddenly he heard an engine from the other side of the lake and found someone in a speedboat on the other side of the lake.  
  
"Mr. Wheeler!" the figure yelled. "You want to get out of here don't you? Well, you're going to have to duel me, but first you must beat me to have the honor of challenging me! Do I make myself clear?" he continued.  
  
"CRYSTAL!" Joey responded.  
  
"Good. Now hop in that boat to your left and come out to the middle of the lake!" he commanded as Joey jumped in the boat and after a while, got the hang of driving it, and came to the center of the lake.  
  
"Now Mr. Wheeler, to successfully complete the Stunt Boat Challenge you must collect any 20 red flags you see floating in the water. Do that before I do, and you Mr. Wheeler not only have won the Stunt Boat Challenge, but you have also won the right to duel me. And I'll reveal myself at the most appropriate time. Now, let the Stunt Boat Challenge begin!" the mysterious figure declared as Joey revved up his boat, as did the figure.  
  
"Ready." He said "Set." Joey added and "GO!" the yelled in unison as they both sped off.  
  
Joey instantly realized he had taken a pretty shallow and narrow river route. "Great, not deep and small. This is perfect!" he sarcastically thought, and saw a red flag coming up ahead.  
  
"One of those flags." He said and carefully reached up and grabbed it. "This will be easier than I thought!" Joey added on.  
  
Elsewhere, it had been 5 minutes into the race, and the mysterious figure had already captured 8 flags and was coming up quickly on the ninth. "That fool Wheeler honestly thinks he has a chance. Even if somehow he should miraculously win, I'll crush him in our duel!"  
  
Joey was doing OK, it had been 7 and a half minutes into the race, and he had already gotten 12 flags. "Just 8 more. I can do this." He thought. He noticed that the river was flowing back into the same lake he came from. "I must have cleared this section out, well just have to find another!" he said making a sharp right turn into another river and flew down it, finding only one flag.  
  
"No! That hooded wacko must have cleared out this section!" he yelled and turned around, flowing instantly into the lake. Joey checked out three more rivers and found 4 flags, bringing his total to 17.  
  
"Ah! I get it. There are only 39 flags in this lake!" he declared and checked one of the two remaining rivers, finding 2 flags. "Alright, 19 flags, just one more." Joey thought while noticing out of the corner of his eye the figure sped past.  
  
"Just one more flag Mr. Wheeler!" he yelled pointing to the remaining river as Joey turned around, but was not quick enough to catch him, but then saw a risky opportunity. He set himself up for a jump and sped off for a ramp he saw. He had jerked left at the last second launching the boat off the corner and sent it into a tailspin. It flew across to the river with the final flag in it as the hooded figure saw it and sped up. Joey's boat hit the shore right next to the flag and before the figure could grab it, Joey scooped it out right before the figure could.  
  
"NO WAY!" he yelled. "How could an amateur beat me?! I'm the best boater in all of Japan or America or wherever we are!"  
  
"Save it. Now I believe I can beat you in a duel as well!" Joey declared, ready to load his Platinum Disk.  
  
"Not here Mr. Wheeler. Follow me!" he stated as he sped off in his speedboat. Joey had to push his into the water, but soon followed him quickly. The landed on a ramp and got out of their boats. The figure led Joey up a long flight of stairs to a bridge. He walked to a certain part of the bridge and told Joey directly where to stand.  
  
"Now we begin!" he yelled, snapping his fingers. Instantly the part of the bridge was pulled up.  
  
"We're on a drawbridge Mr. Wheeler and as soon as you lose, you'll plummet down to the bottom of the sea!" he declared as he loaded his disk and chose his cards from the card library, as did Joey.  
  
"Now choose your Deck Master Mr. Wheeler!" the figure commanded as Joey flipped through his cards and picked one.  
  
"My deck master will be Gearfried the Iron Knight!" he yelled as the monster materialized next to him.  
  
"And I've taken the form of my deck master he yelled as he pulled off his black cape, revealing a strong zombie. "I am the monster known as Dukurorider!" he yelled, drawing his five cards.  
  
"Now this duel will begin!"  
  
~~~~~~ CARDS PLAYED ~~~~~~~~~  
  
Gearfried the Iron Knight: ****/1800/1600/Warrior Type/Desc: Any Equip Card this card is Equipped with is automatically destroyed/ Deck Master Ability: Your opponent may not activate any equip cards.  
  
Dukurorider: ******/1900/1850/Zombie Type/Desc: This monster is summoned using the Ritual Magic Card "Revival of Dukurorider" You must also offer monsters whose total Level stars equal 7 or more as a tribute from the field or your hand/ Deck Master Ability: By sacrificing two cards from your hand, you may place one ritual monster or magic card from your deck to your hand. 


	11. The Great Ritual Deck, Part 1: Dukurorid...

Disclaimer: See Chapter 10 for details  
  
Chapter 11: The Great Ritual Deck, Part 1: Dukurorider's Plan  
  
"And I'll start off this duel!" Dukurorider declared, drawing his sixth card. "And I'll summon Earthbound Spirit (500/2000) in defense mode and end my turn.  
  
"That's it?! This is gonna be easier than that boat challenge!" Joey responded. "I'll play Armored Lizard (1500/1200) in defense mode and play one card face down and now I'll end my turn!"  
  
(Clever Mr. Wheeler. You thought I would sacrifice my Earthbound Spirit to summon a more powerful monster. Clever, but not clever enough.) Dukurorider thought. "I'll draw and now summon Water Omotics (1400/1200) in attack mode. Next, just incase you were thinking of trapping my monster, I activate Bait Doll! Let's see what you're hiding!" he stated as the face down card flipped up.  
  
"Perfect. A Chasm of Spikes card. And since you couldn't have activated it until I announced my attack, your card will be destroyed!" Dukurorider explained as the card burned until there was nothing left of it.  
  
"And now I can shuffle my deck after I add Bait Doll to it." Dukurorider added as his disk automatically shuffled the deck. "Now Water Omotics, attack and crush Armored Lizard!" he commanded as the woman let loose a water dragon which launched a stream of water blowing back Armored Lizard.  
  
"I'll set one card face down and end my turn Joseph."  
  
Joey drew. "You were lucky last time, so now I summon Alligator's Sword (1500/1200)!"  
  
"Wait! I activate my magic card, Dark Wall of Air! I cannot be attacked by your monsters for this turn!" he explained as a black fog covered both of Dukurorider's monsters.  
  
"No! I play one card face down and end my turn!" Joey declared. "That face down card won't help me at all, I hope I can trick him into not attacking." He thought.  
  
Dukurorider drew his next card. (Not exactly what I wanted.) he thought, (but I know how to make that possible.) "I activate my Deck Master Ability!" he announced. "By discarding 2 cards from my hand, I can summon one ritual monster card from my deck!" His deck instantly shot out one card, which he grabbed.  
  
"And now I activate the magic card, Curse of the Masked Beast! By sacrificing Water Omotics and Earthbound Spirit.." he began as they took places on two stands and disappeared. "I am able to summon a powerful creature, the Masked Beast (3200/1800)!" Dukurorider finished as a giant masked creature wielding a large staff walked onto the field.  
  
"Now, Masked Beast, destroy his Alligator's Sword!" he commanded as the creature swung its staff, slicing the alligator in two. (J's LP: 2300)  
  
"Are you sure it will be as easy as you previously stated Mr. Wheeler?" he laughed.  
  
"Err." Joey growled, drawing. "I play the magic card Scapegoat, which will summon four sheep tokens!" he yelled as four different colored sheep appeared on the field. "I'll set one card face down and end my turn."  
  
"Masked Beast destroy one Scapegoat!" he instantly commanded as the monster sliced one sheep in half.  
  
"And now I summon Winged Sage Falcos (1700/1200) in attack mode. Attack and destroy his second sheep!" he commanded as the bird sent a wave of wind blowing back and destroying the second sheep.  
  
"And don't think those other two sheep can protect you! For now I activate my trap card, Destruction Wave! Since it's activated at the right time, I can destroy your remaining two sheep!" he explained as two black hands grabbed the remaining sheep and pulled them into the card. The card then exploded.  
  
"Now next turn you'll have no defense!" he declared.  
  
(He's right.) Joey thought. (I've only got one monster in my hand.) He drew his next card.  
  
"I'll activate Pot of Greed to draw two cards!" Joey yelled picking up his next two cards.  
  
"Now I summon Swordsman of Landstar (500/1200) in defense mode and play one more card face down and end my turn" announced Joey.  
  
"What a desperate move!" Dukurorider retorted, drawing. "I will finish you off now Joseph! Winged Sage Falcos destroy Swordsman of Landstar!" he commanded as the monster let another gust of wind shatter the swordsman.  
  
"Masked Beast move in and destroy him!" Dukurorider added as the beast ran up to Joey, ready to finish this.  
  
"Keep on walking into my traps! Reveal Black Wire! This card will allow me to take control of your monster, if the attack would end the duel! So, Masked Beast is mine!" Joey explained as thick black wires wrapped around the beast's arms and legs and dragged him to Joey's side of the field.  
  
"Now it's my move. First, I'll sacrifice The Masked Beast to summon Flame Cerebrus (2100/1800). Flame Cerebrus, attack his Winged Sage Falcos!" Joey commanded pointing at the target, the three heads launched a dark red fireball that blew through the flying monster. (D's LP: 3600)  
  
"You think just because you cleared the field of both of my monsters and lowered my life points a little, that you're going to win? I believe not." He stated drawing his next card. "I think my luck will change! Go, Shining Abyss (1600/1800) and now I'll activate my magic card, Watch Tranquilizer! This card will reduce your monster's attack power by 100 times its level!" Dukurorider explained as a watch materialized on his arm. He directed it at the Flame Cerebrus.  
  
Six poison needles hit the cerebrus in the neck, and it whimpered slightly: (Flame Cerebrus: 1500/1800) "Now Shining Abyss, attack and wipe out the Flame Cerebrus!" commanded Dukurorider as the monster let out a white beam sweeping across the bridge and blowing away the flaming beast. (J's LP: 2200)  
  
(One more.) Dukurorider thought.  
  
"To end my turn I'll activate Golden Temple." He added and Joey drew.  
  
"I'm fixing to bring down ya life points!" Joey declared. "First, I set three cards face down and activate Mage's Rage! For each magic or trap card I remove from the field, I can inflict 500 points of direct damage to your life points!" he explained.  
  
"And.what will that help you accomplish?" Dukurorider questioned.  
  
"It'll all be clear once I activate Giant Trunade!" Joey continued as the vortex from the sky opened up, sweeping up all the magic and trap cards and let them be returned to the owner's hand.  
  
"No! I lose 2000 life points!" Dukurorider yelled as four black balls of energy surrounded the duelist, each briefly shocking him. (D's LP: 1600)  
  
"And that puts me in the lead!" responded Joey who suddenly stopped celebrating. "WHAT?! Why is your Golden Temple card still on the field?!?" he demanded to know.  
  
"Simple amateur, my Golden Temple card can't be destroyed by your magic cards!" snickered Dukurorider.  
  
"Fine then. I'll summon Baby Dragon (1200/700) to defend my life points and end my move." Joey growled.  
  
"Shining Abyss, destroy his Baby Dragon!" was instantly commanded after Joey finished his sentence. The same white beam blew away the dragon, which let out a faint cry. "I end my turn." He added on.  
  
Joey swiftly drew. "I activate Life Shortening Treasure, which for now allows me to draw 5 new cards." He explained, grabbing his first five. "And next, go Tiny Guardian (1400/1800) in defense mode and I'll end my turn after playing this card face down."  
  
"You've actually forced me to sacrifice! So, I'll activate the magic card, Commencement Dance! And by sacrificing Shining Abyss and Silver Fang from my hand." he began as the beast appeared on the field and both were absorbed into a vortex, which let out a woman with a sharp long sword. "to summon Performance of Sword (1950/1850)!"  
  
"Performance of Sword attack now!" commanded Dukurorider as the woman struck her sword on the ground sending a shockwave at the guardian, dissolving him.  
  
"And things will be getting much worse Mr. Wheeler! But for now I will end my move." Dukurorider threatened.  
  
"Nice shot. But now I summon Zombyra the Dark (2100/500), go Zombyra attack and destroy Performance of Sword!" Joey commanded as the monster ran and performed two slices, cutting the monster in three pieces. (D's LP: 1450)  
  
"And that'll end my move!" Joey added. (Zombyra the Dark: 1900/200)  
  
"You fool! You've just helped me destroy you! I needed you to destroy my Performance of Sword. You played right into my hands Wheeler. First, witness the power of the Golden Temple!" Dukurorider said as the card shot out gold beams of light onto Dukurorider's Platinum Disk, shooting out the card he wanted, which he greedily snatched.  
  
"First, for my plan to work I needed you to destroy certain cards, and I needed to destroy certain cards of yours! I had to keep certain cards in my hand and throw away others so my plan would work! First, I summon Senju of the Thousand Hands (1400/1000) who will let me summon a ritual monster from my deck." He explained as he grabbed the card it spat out.  
  
"Next, I activate Soul Release, which will allow me to remove up to 5 cards from play! So, I'll remove Flame Cerebrus, Performance of Sword, Baby Dragon, The Masked Beast, and Water Omotics!" he yelled as the five cards dispersed from the graveyard.  
  
"But wait! There is more! Reveal trap, Dimension Breakthrough, which will allow me to revive up to 5 cards that have been removed from play! So welcome back Flame Cerebrus, Performance of Sword, Baby Dragon, The Masked Beast, and Water Omotics!" he announced as the five monsters appeared on his field ready to take down Joey.  
  
"And just to make your suffering harder, I reveal my magic card!" he declared, turning it around as Joey gasped.  
  
"Yes it is the mighty Revival of the Mythic Dragon!" he yelled as the familiar ancient circle appeared on the field in front of the Masked Beast. Now, I sacrifice the Masked Beast.." he began as the monster floated to the circle, which opened into a portal and the Masked Beast fell.  
  
"Baby Dragon." he added as the same effect happened, which he also did with Flame Cerebrus, and Water Omotics.  
  
"And finally Performance of Sword!" he shouted as she flew down. Suddenly bright beams of purple light emitted from the portal, which gathered together, shooting to the sky. A shadow came down from the sky, and was soon revealed as a massive dragon with five different colored heads, representing five of the groups Dukurorider sacrificed.  
  
"Meet the final instrument of your destruction, the mighty Mythic Dragon (5000/5000). My dragon and I will crush you JOEY!" he laughed as the dragon roared.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CARDS PLAYED ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Earthbound Spirit: ****/500/2000/Fiend Type  
  
Armored Lizard: ****/1500/1200/Reptile Type  
  
Water Omotics: ****/1400/1200/Aqua Type  
  
Bait Doll: MAGIC/Desc: Force the activation of 1 face-down Trap Card. If the timing of the activation of the Trap Card is incorrect, negate the effect and destroy it. If it is not a Trap Card, it is returned to its original position. After this card is activated, it is placed into the Deck (not the Graveyard). The Deck is then shuffled.  
  
Alligator's Sword: ****/1500/1200/Warrior Type?  
  
Dark Wall of Air: MAGIC/Desc: For one turn, your opponent's monsters may not attack you.  
  
Curse of the Masked Beast: RITUAL MAGIC/Desc: This card is used to Ritual Summon The Masked Beast. You must also offer monsters whose total Level Stars equal 8 or more as a Tribute from the field or your hand.  
  
The Masked Beast: ********/3200/1800/Fiend/ Ritual Type/Desc: This monster can only be Ritual Summoned with the Ritual Magic Card, Curse of the Masked Beast. You must also offer monsters whose total Level Stars equal 8 or more as a Tribute from the field or your hand.  
  
Scapegoat: QUICK PLAY MAGIC/Desc: When this card is activated, you cannot summon any monster in the same turn (including Flip Summon and Special Summon). Place 4 'Sheep Tokens' (Beast-Type/EARTH/1 Star/ATK 0/DEF 0) in Defense Position on the your side of the field. The tokens cannot be used as a Tribute for a Tribute Summon.  
  
Winged Sage Falcos: ****/1700/1200/Winged Beast Type/Desc: You can return your opponent's face-up Attack Position monster that is sent to the Graveyard by this monster or as result of battle to the top of his/her deck.  
  
Destruction Wave: TRAP/Desc: This card may only be activated after you have destroyed at least half of your opponent's monsters on the field. Destroy all of your opponent's remaining monsters.  
  
Pot of Greed: MAGIC/Desc: Draw 2 cards from your Deck.  
  
Swordsman of Landstar: ***/500/1200/Warrior Type  
  
Black Wire: TRAP/Desc: This card may only be activated if the attack launched would end the current duel. Take control of the attacking monster that would end the duel.  
  
Flame Cerebrus: ******/2100/1800/Pyro Type  
  
Shining Abyss: ****/1600/1800/Fairy Type  
  
Watch Tranquilizer: MAGIC/Desc: Choose one monster on your opponent's side of the field. Decrease that monster's attack power by 100 times its level.  
  
Golden Temple: MAGIC/Desc: This card may not be destroyed by magic or trap cards or monster effects. After the third turn this card has been on the field, you may place one ritual magic card from your deck to your hand.  
  
Mage's Rage: TRAP/Desc: Deal 500 points of direct damage to your opponent's life points for each of your magic or trap card removed from the field.  
  
Giant Trunade: MAGIC/Desc: Return all Magic and Trap Cards on the field to the respective owner's hand.  
  
Baby Dragon: ***/1200/700/Dragon Type  
  
Life Shortening Treasure: MAGIC/Desc: Draw 5 cards from your deck and 5 turns later, discard your entire hand to the graveyard.  
  
Tiny Guardian: ****/1400/1800/Warrior Type  
  
Commencement Dance: RITUAL MAGIC/Desc: This card is used to Ritual Summon "Performance of Sword". You must also offer monsters whose total Level Stars equal 6 or more as a Tribute from the field or your hand.  
  
Silver Fang: ***/1200/800/Beast Type  
  
Performance of Sword: ******/1950/1850/Warrior/Ritual Type/Desc: This monster can only be Ritual Summoned with the Ritual Magic Card, "Commencement Dance". You must also offer monsters whose total Level Stars equal 6 or more as a Tribute from the field or your hand.  
  
Zombyra the Dark: ****/2100/500/Warrior Type/Desc: This card cannot attack a player directly. Each time this card destroys a monster in battle, decrease the ATK of this card by 200 points.  
  
Senju of the Thousand Hands: ****/1400/1000/Fairy Type/Desc: When this card is summoned to the field (excluding Special Summon), you may move 1 Ritual Monster Card from your Deck to your hand. The Deck is then shuffled.  
  
Soul Release: MAGIC/Desc: Select up to 5 cards from either you or your opponent's graveyard and remove them from the current duel.  
  
Dimension Breakthrough: TRAP/Desc: This card may only be activated when you have no monsters on the field. Summon up to 5 monsters removed from play onto your side of the field in face up attack position.  
  
Revival of the Mythic Dragon: RITUAL MAGIC/Desc: This card is used to Ritual Summon "The Mythic Dragon". You must also offer one monster of each type: Earth, Water, Wind, Fire, and Dark.  
  
The Mythic Dragon: ************/5000/5000/Dragon/Ritual Type/Desc: This card may only be Ritual Summoned with the Ritual Magic Card "Revival of the Mythic Dragon". This card cannot take damage from any monster with the following attribute: Earth, Water, Wind, Fire, and Dark. 


	12. The Great Ritual Deck, Part 2: Dragon's ...

Disclaimer: See Chapter 11 for details  
  
Chapter 12: The Great Ritual Deck, Part 2: Dragon's Destruction! A New Monster Unleashed  
  
My mighty dragon will bring you down! You're done for! Mythic Dragon attack his Zombyra the Dark and win me this duel!" Dukurorider commanded as the five heads unleashed blasts of fire, water, air, thunder, and black energy which all hurled at Zombyra instantly overwhelmed by the force of the dragon.  
  
"Goodbye Mr. Wheeler!" cheered Dukurorider.  
  
"Not quite. I activate my trap card, Magician's Shield, which will let me name one type of monster and I cannot receive battle damage from that monster. So I pick dragon!" yelled Joey as the damage was deflected.  
  
Dukurorider snarled as Joey drew. (Perfect!) Joey thought. "I activate Yield Tribute to summon the mighty Red Eyes Black Dragon (2400/2000) in defense mode and next I'll activate Shield of the Kings which will protect my monster from all magic, trap, and monster attacks!" Joey explained as a large shield appeared before the dragon.  
  
"That's a very desperate move Joseph, but then again you can't harm me with any monster that isn't a light attribute. So, what should I expect from you? I can't expect a worthy opponent nor a worthy duel. Oh well." Dukurorider teased as he drew.  
  
"I activate a card to boost my monster's strength! Go, Dragon Nails!" he called, but suddenly Joey's deck master, Gearfried the Iron Knight, launched in the air and came down on the Dragon Nails card, dissolving it and the nails on the dragon.  
  
"What foolery is this?!" Dukurorider demanded to know.  
  
"It's just my deck master's special ability. You can't activate any equip cards." Explained Joey as he drew.  
  
(Hey look! It's one of those cards that Rishid (Odion) guy gave me right before Mai dueled Marik.) "I activate the field magic card, Temple of the Kings!" Joey declared as a large temple with a giant arc materialized behind Joey.  
  
"And with my temple on the field, you can only play one magic or trap card per turn." He announced. (And that's not all this card can do.) he thought. "Now I'll place one card face down and then summon Axe Raider (1700/1150) to the field in defense mode. And that'll do it for me." Joey said.  
  
"Mythic Dragon attack Axe Raider!" Dukurorider burst as the five blasts blew up the weak warrior.  
  
"I'll play one card face down and end my turn." He added.  
  
Joey confidently drew. "Perfect! I summon Robotic Knight (1600/1800) in defense mode and end my turn."  
  
"A worthless monster. You must have used up all of your good tricks already, or maybe you didn't have any to start out with! Now I summon Revival Jam (1500/500) to the field in defense mode!"  
  
(Revival Jam. I remember that card!) Joey thought.  
  
~~ FLASHBACK ~~ (Mai vs. Malik)  
  
"My card is in your deck and I want it back." Malik said. Mai just looked motionless. "I know you're but we had a deal.so." He continued as he used the Millennium Rod to send her mind to the Shadow Realm.  
  
~~ END FLASHBACK~~  
  
"And to end my turn!" Dukurorider announced, interrupting. "I'll set this one card face down."  
  
(Why didn't he attack me? He has to be baiting me. Does he really think I'm that much of an amateur?) Joey thought, drawing.  
  
"Perfect. This card will smash up his Revival Jam! And, this trap will protect me from his dragon's attack!" Joey smiled as he set one card face down.  
  
"I'll set a card face down and now summon Baby Dragon (1200/700) in attack mode! Baby Dragon attack and wipe out Revival Jam now!" commanded Joey as the dragon hurled a fireball, exploding Revival Jam on contact.  
  
"Fool. There's a reason they call it REVIVAL Jam. Just watch." He ordered as the plasma monster instantly regenerated.  
  
"Say what?!?" Joey managed to say, obviously surprised by the jam's effect.  
  
"And now you've helped me Joey! Say goodbye to the rest of your life points! Five God Dragon (Mythic Dragon) attack Baby Dragon and win me this duel!" he burst as the dragon's five heads launched the separate attacks, which merged in mid air into a deep black blast, obliterating Baby Dragon on the spot.  
  
"You just had to attack didn't you!" Dukurorider heard Joey shout between the smoke. When the smoke cleared, Dukurorider was shocked to discover Baby Dragon unharmed and one of Joey's cards flipped up.  
  
"Dark Destructor. Not only will this card finally destroy your Five God Dragon, but it will also subtract one half of its attack strength from your life points!" he gladly explained as the monster fell into the deep pit and was obliterated. "And last time I checked, that ends the duel!" he happily added.  
  
"You'd like that wouldn't you Mr. Wheeler? You won't be so lucky this time, reveal magic card, Spell of Hate, which allows me to change my damage to your life points!" Dukurorider chuckled as the white soul went to Dukurorider, then redirected itself at Joey.  
  
"Looks like it's you who's lost this duel!!" continued he.  
  
"My turn to show you a hidden card of mine! This one has been on the field since the very beginning! Activate Nutrient Z!" he yelled as his life points shot up. (J's LP: 6300)  
  
"My trap gives me 4000 life points if I were to take battle damage of 2000 points or more!" he explained, much to Dukurorider's demise as he gleefully let the white soul of the Five God Dragon hit him. (J's LP: 3800)  
  
"That was your last bit of luck Mr. Wheeler! Next time I swear you'll go down!" Dukurorider furiously bellowed.  
  
"Yeah, sure. I've heard that all before. But anyway, my move now." Joey sighed and drew.  
  
"Ok. Get ready! I place one card face down and end my turn!" he declared as Dukurorider drew, saw his card, and snickered.  
  
"Meet another one of my almighty ritual monsters!" he began, "as I activate the magic card Shinato's Ark!" A giant ark came up behind Dukurorider. "And by discarding Robotic Knight and Tribe Infecting Virus from my hand.." Both monsters instantly appeared inside the ark, on which the door closed. When it was completely shut the ark lift up high above the dueling set up, which let loose a vibrant, white light. A figure flew down, which Joey recognized as a blue fairy with six golden wings.  
  
"A monster with more powers than the Five God Dragon! Shinato, King of A Higher Plane (as much as I hate to use that name, I refuse to use the Japanese name.) (3300/3000)  
  
"Now Shinato, wipe out his Red Eyes Black Dragon!" commanded Dukurorider as the fairy shot a blinding white ball of powerful energy, which overtook the dragon. (J's LP: 2900)  
  
"Great. 3300 attack points. Hey, this card is very handy! I activate Cost Down! And by discarding Garoozis, I can summon this monster with a one-card sacrifice! So I sacrifice Baby Dragon to summon an extremely rare card, the Insect Queen! (2200/2400)" Joey announced as the miniature dragon was replaced by an immense winged insect queen.  
  
"Now Insect Queen!" Joey began but realized something. "Ok not good, but this magic card'll save me for now." He thought, slapping the card onto its plate. "I activate Curse of Fiend, which forces all monsters to switch modes that they are in! So both of our cards go to defense mode." Joey thought, snickering.  
  
(He thinks he can defend. Well he's wrong, defending will only cost him more life points.) Dukurorider mentally retorted.  
  
"Please. I'll draw, and next have Shinato destroy your Insect Queen!" he announced as the monster shot the white beam overtaking the insect. "And maybe I forgot to mention, every time my monster attacks one of your monsters in defense mode, the defending monster's attack points are subtracted from your life points!" he laughed.  
  
"No way!" Joey responded, looking at his duel disk, and sure enough it was going down. (J's LP: 700)  
  
"And now I play this card face down to end my turn." He added on, chortling.  
  
"I play the magic card, Mystical Space Typhoon, to blow away your face down card!" Joey declared as the twister aimed for the card.  
  
"And you just couldn't go without activating it could you Mr. Wheeler? Reverse trap card, Dust Tornado! This trap will destroy your Mystical Space Typhoon, and it will allow me to play this one card face down. Now summon your last defense so my Shinato and I can destroy you in the coming turn! There's no escaping this Mr. Wheeler. Next turn you'll be gone!" sneered and laughed Dukurorider over and over again.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~ CARDS PLAYED ~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Magician's Shield: TRAP/Desc: You may activate this card when your opponent announces an attack. Equip this card to one of your face up defense position monsters. State one type of monster. The equipped monster cannot be destroyed or take battle damage from the monster type stated.  
  
Yield Tribute: MAGIC/Desc: Yield Tribute: MAGIC / Desc: Chose to Normal or Special Summon 1 monster from your hand. If you chose Special Summon, skip your Battle Phase.  
  
Red Eyes Black Dragon: *******/2400/2000/Dragon Type  
  
Dragon Nails: EQUIP MAGIC/Desc: A dragon type monster equipped with this card increases its attack by 600.  
  
Temple of the Kings: FIELD MAGIC/Desc: As long as this card remains on the field, your opponent can only set one card face down on the field at a time. Also, you may place one monster inside the Sacred Ark. By sacrificing all monsters on your side of the field, along with half of your life points, you may special summon the monster inside the Sacred Ark.  
  
Axe Raider: ****/1700/1150/Warrior Type  
  
Robotic Knight: ****/1600/1800/Machine Type  
  
Revival Jam: ****/1500/500/Aqua Type/Desc: When this card is sent to the Graveyard as a result of battle, you can Special Summon this card in face- up Defense Position at your next Standby Phase. You cannot change its position during the same turn it is Special Summoned in this way.  
  
Baby Dragon: ***/1200/700/Dragon Type  
  
Dark Destructor: TRAP/Desc: This card can only be activated during your opponent's battle phase. Destroy the strongest monster on your opponent's side of the field and deal them direct damage of half of the monster's strength.  
  
Spell of Hate: QUICK PLAY MAGIC/Desc: You may only activate this card when you are to receive life point damage. Transfer the damage to any other player on the field.  
  
Nutrient Z: TRAP/Desc: This card can only be activated during your opponent's Damage Step. During this turn, if you take Battle Damage of 2000 points or more, increase your Life Points by 4000 points before the damage is subtracted from your Life Points.  
  
Shinato's Ark: RITUAL MAGIC/Desc: This card is used to summon "Shinato, King of a Higher Plane". You must also offer monsters whose total Level stars equal 8 or more as a tribute from the field or your hand.  
  
Shinato, King of a Higher Plane: ********/3300/3000/Fairy/Ritual Type/Desc: This card can only be summoned by the ritual magic card "Shinato's Ark". You must also offer monsters whose total stars equal 8 from the field or your hand. When a defense position monster on your opponent's side of the field is destroyed and sent to the graveyard by this card as a result of battle, inflict damage to your opponent's life points equal to the original attack of the destroyed monster.  
  
Cost Down: MAGIC/Desc: Discard 1 card from your hand. Downgrade all monster cards in your hand by 2 levels until the End Phase of the turn this card is activated.  
  
Insect Queen: *******/2200/2400/Insect Type/Desc: This card gains 200 attack points for every insect card on the field. This card must have an insect type monster sacrificed for it to attack. Every time this card attacks, place an Egg Token (Level 1/ATK-100/DEF-100) on your side of the field.  
  
Curse of Fiend: MAGIC/Desc: Changes the battle positions of all Attack Position monsters on the fields to Defense Position and vice-versa. These positions cannot be changed during the turn this card is activated except by the effect of a Magic, Trap or Effect Monster Card.  
  
Mystical Space Typhoon: QUICK PLAY MAGIC/Desc: Destroy one magic or trap card on the field.  
  
Dust Tornado: TRAP/Desc: Destroy 1 Magic or Trap Card on your opponent's side of the field. You can then Set 1 Magic or Trap Card from your hand. 


	13. The Great Ritual Deck, Part 3: Plan Beco...

Disclaimer: See Chapter 12 for details  
  
Chapter 13: The Great Ritual Deck, Part 3: Plan Becomes Action  
  
"Make your last move." Dukurorider requested. "Now!"  
  
"Never seen someone in such a hurry to lose." Joey responded. "But if your that worried, I'll play Attrition!" he announced.  
  
"Attrition. What does that thing do?" Dukurorider questioned.  
  
"It will do a lot once I summon Rocket Warrior (1500/1300) to the field! Now Rocket Warrior, reduce his Shinato's attack points!" commanded Joey as the warrior transformed into a rocket and blasted itself at Shinato.  
  
"So you've weakened my monster to 2800 attack points. Can I finish you off now?" he impatiently asked.  
  
"On the contrary, it would be 2800, but thanks to my magic card, your monster gets Rocket Warrior's attack points subtracted from its attack points!" he explained as the card weakened Shinato to 1300 points.  
  
"Now Rocket Warrior, attack and destroy his monster!" Joey stated as the rocket dove straight for and shattered Shinato. (D's LP: 1250)  
  
(One more) Dukurorider thought. "My turn now." He announced, drawing. "I'll set 2 cards face down and summon Tribe Infecting Virus (1600/1100) in defense mode."  
  
"That's your big play?! Rocket Warrior, attack Tribe Infecting Virus!" Joey said as the rocket dove and shattered the virus.  
  
"Now to activate my trap card, Sacrifice Rebirth! Now I can sacrifice Rocket Warrior!" he began as the trap shot a white blast as the rocket, exploding with it on contact. "Now we both draw until we can summon 5 monster cards to the field." He concluded as he kept drawing.  
  
Luckily for Joey, the first 5 cards he drew were all monsters.  
  
"Oh and by the way, any card you draw that isn't a monster card, you must discard. So I summon Fiend Megacyber (2200/1200), Harpie Lady (1300/1400), Harpie's Pet Dragon (2000/2500+300), Goddess with the Third Eye (1200/1000), and Serpent Night Dragon (2350/2400)!" he yelled as his line up of monsters appeared on the field.  
  
"Well then, I'll take to the field Axe Raider (1700/1100), Flame Swordsman (1800/1600), Red Eyes Black Dragon (2400/2000), Time Wizard (500/400), and Island Turtle (1100/2000)! Now, Red Eyes Black Dragon, attack Serpent Night Dragon with Inferno Fire Blast!" Joey commanded as the black dragon launched a blazing stream of scorching flame at the other dragon, blowing it away on contact. (D's LP: 1200)  
  
"Now, I'll set a card face down and end my turn." Joey smiled.  
  
"I knew you'd do something foolish like that. For now you'll fall into my real trap! I activate Elegant Egotist!" he announced as the magic card flipped up. "Now my Harpie Lady becomes the Harpie Lady Sisters! (1950/2100) Plus, as you should know, they power up my dragon by 600 more attack and defense points! (Harpie's Pet Dragon: 2900/3400)  
  
"Now Harpie's Pet Dragon, blow his dragon to ashes!" commanded Dukurorider as the dragon brought together powerful flames overwhelming Joey's Red Eyes Black Dragon. (J's LP: 200)  
  
"And next turn I'll be rid of you for good and I can finally escape from this horrid place!" he continued, giving a signal he was finished with his turn.  
  
(Okay. I'm down and this could be my last turn! Come on deck.) Joey silently repeated to himself, and slowly drew. (That's what I'm talkin' bout!) "Say goodbye to all your cards because I activate Raigeki to strike down every monster on your side of the field!" he yelled as five lightning bolts reigned down from the sky, blowing up all 5 of Dukurorider's monsters.  
  
(You have no idea what your helping me do) he thought happily sliding all 5 cards into his graveyard slot.  
  
"Now it's time to finish this! Flame Swordsman attack his life points directly!" Joey commanded as the swordsman unleashed a flaming dragon aiming directly at Dukurorider. It was one foot in front of him.  
  
"Mirror Force!" he yelled as the trap flipped up in the nick of time, absorbing the attack and directing it back at all of Joey's monsters, vaporizing each and every one of them.  
  
"Perfect." Joey thought.  
  
"And now prepare for a creature whose power can be unlimited! I summon to the field. You've just been helping me all along and you don't know it! I activate The Shallow Grave, a magic card that allows us to special summon a monster from our graveyard and summon it to the field in face up defense position. So, I'll take the liberty to take back my almighty Shinato, King of A Higher Plane!" he explained as the monster removed the lid of it's coffin and flew to an open space and folded its wings into a defensive stance.  
  
"Well then I'll revive Red Eyes Black Dragon (2400/2000)." Joey declared as the dragon opened its own lid and folded its wings, opposite Shinato.  
  
"Now Joey prepare to meet a creature with power way higher than anything in your pitiful deck could comprehend with! I sacrifice Shinato to summon Shadow Ghoul (1600/1300)." Announced Dukurorider as the fairy was encased in a black dome. When the dome died down, an ugly green ghoul with white pincers stood in its place.  
  
"And as you should know, Shadow Ghoul gains 100 attack points for every card in my graveyard!" he yelled as the ghoul's power rose to 3700.  
  
"Now Shadow Ghoul, attack Red Eyes Black Dragon!" commanded Dukurorider as the monster clawed down the dragon, who screeched in response before shattering.  
  
"And I'll set two cards face down and end my turn" He said, proud of his ghoulish monster. Joey drew.  
  
"I'll play Scapegoat!" Joey instantly stated, as four colored sheep tokens appeared on Joey's side of the field.  
  
"My turn now." Dukurorider confirmed. "And I think I'll activate my trap card, Virus Cannon! This card forces you to discard the top 10 magic cards off your deck." He explained as Joey's duel disk spat out 10 cards which he angrily snatched and crammed into his graveyard slot.  
  
"Wait! I think I'll activate my second trap card, Detour! This card forces all cards you send to the graveyard this turn to come to my own graveyard!" he explained as images of the ten cards appeared in Dukurorider's graveyard.  
  
"And you know what that means Mr. Wheeler! With your 10 magic cards and my 2 trap cards, my monster gains 1200 attack points, bringing its total to a destructive 4900! Shadow Ghoul attack one of his scapegoats now!" commanded Dukurorider as the massive claw crushed the yellow goat.  
  
"And now I play Monster Reborn, to revive Shinato, King of A Higher Plane again!" Dukurorider announced as the fairy reappeared from the magic card. "And just like last time I'll sacrifice Shinato to summon Labyrinth Wall (0/3000)" he explained as a maze covered the entire field.  
  
"Not another Labyrinth field. Oh well, I'll summon Battle Warrior (700/1000) in defense mode and end my turn." Joey sadly said.  
  
Dukurorider didn't even draw. "Now I activate Magical Labyrinth! And by sacrificing my Labyrinth Wall that's equipped with Magical Labyrinth, I can special summon a Wall Shadow (1600/3000)!" he explained as the labyrinth shattered and a demon, resembling shadow ghoul but more demon like appeared next to Shadow Ghoul. "And don't forget, that's 200 more attack points for Shadow Ghoul." He added. The two monsters seemed unmistakably alike. "And now behold a card on the field that I set from the very beginning! Reveal Polymerization. Fuse Shadow Ghoul and Wall Shadow!" he declared as the monsters came together.  
  
"I've created the Black Shadow (0/0)! This monster gains 500 attack points for every card in my graveyard!" he explained as the monster's stats shot to an immense 18500.  
  
"Black Shadow, attack and wipe out another Scapegoat!" he commanded as the monster formed a black ball of evil electric energy and shot it at the red goat, creating an enormous explosion that almost blew Joey off the bridge.  
  
Joey drew. "I'll set a card face down and end my turn." He simply said as Dukurorider looked on sort of shocked.  
  
"Oh well. Black Shadow attack Battle Warrior!" he yelled as the electric energy ball blew up the warrior. "I end my move."  
  
Joey drew again. "I activate Graceful Charity!" he announced as he drew 3 cards, and then discarded 2. (Not what I needed.) he thought, and grabbed a card from his hand. "I get to draw again with my Pot of Greed card!" he added and drew 2 cards.  
  
(There we go.) Joey thought. "I set one card face down and end my turn." He said.  
  
Dukurorider drew, annoyed by Joey's stalling. "Why won't you just do something stupid like you always do in a duel!??! Don't think I don't know about your foolish first move in Battle City, when you tried to summon Giltia on your first move. Or what about the time when in the Battle City Finals you thought you could easily defeat your opponent, Rishid, by trying to rid the field of his four face down cards and he turned your own assault against you!" he furiously burst as Joey smiled.  
  
"There may be some foolish things I've done in my duels, but there's always been good moves. Like way back in Duelist Kingdom, when I dueled Bones and his zombie army, I remember playing Battle Warrior and Shield and Sword card, and blowing away his monsters. Or the second time I was trapped in a virtual world when I dueled Johnson in that courtroom. I pulled reverse psychology on him when I activated my Painful Decisions magic card! That card won me my duel!" Joey retorted.  
  
"Anyway" interrupted Dukurorider, "I'll draw. Now Black Shadow attack and wipe out his third Scapegoat!" he commanded as the third ball of energy blew up a 3rd goat. "And next I'll activate these two cards, Twin Swords, and my face down trap card, Imperial Decree! First, Twin Swords allows me to attack twice if there is a monster left on the field! Now, Black Shadow attack again and wipe out his last defense!" he commanded once more as the black ball exploded with the last goat. "And next, Imperial Decree will not allow you to normal or flip summon a monster during your next turn!" he laughed. "You are finished! Unless there's some magical way you can summon a monster with 20000 attack points, I'm pretty sure you might want to give up. I mean you could be killed by my monster's attack. And I'd want to get rid of you myself!" he chuckled.  
  
Joey drew and heavily sighed, but soon his frown turned into a wide smirk. "Actually I think I am about to take you down! And it all starts with this card! Monster Reborn!" he announced holding the card in the air before slapping it down onto the proper slot.  
  
"Revive Red Eyes Black Dragon!" he said as the dragon roared back onto the scene.  
  
"And now to finish you off! First, I activate Metalmorph to transform my monster into the all powerful Red Eyes Black Metal Dragon (2800/2400)!" he explained as the monster became a deadly machine dragon.  
  
"Are you ready Dukurorider? This one card I'm about to activate will decide the fate of this duel! Reveal, Devil's Comedian!" he declared as the card flipped up along with a giant coin.  
  
"If I call this right, all the cards in your graveyard will be removed from play, dropping your Black Shadow's attack power back to zero. And if I call it wrong, then I have to discard half of the cards you have in your graveyard, and as you can see, I would run out of cards, so I'd automatically lose. It all rides on this!" he yelled. "Flip coin!"  
  
The devil threw the coin in the air, which began flipping. As soon as it reached the height of it's throw, Joey yelled "Tails!" The coin flipped down and down until it reached the bridge, creating a screen of dust and an enormous THUMP. When the smoke cleared, all looked at the coin which was.tails.  
  
"YEAH!" Joey exclaimed as the Black Shadow shrunk down to its original size and it's power back to zero.  
  
(No!) thought Dukurorider. (I've got no cards in my hand and no cards face down to protect me. I've lost!) he furiously thought.  
  
"Red Eyes Black Metal Dragon, attack his Black Shadow and win this duel! Flash Flare Blast!" he commanded, pointing at the target. The dragon unleashed a devastating red and black blast at the shadow, completely melting it and concluding the duel. (D's LP: 0)  
  
"No! I had you beaten!" Dukurorider yelled. "My Five God Dragon, Shinato, and Black Shadow! They all failed me." He wept, as he faded off into the distance. As soon as he was gone, the bridge lowered, and Joey headed towards the other way. He came to a water area with a Cuban Deluxe 5, the fastest boat in the virtual world. He jumped in it and started it up, as soon as the engine was on the boat sped off.  
  
"Well.maybe going wherever this boat is supposed to will get me out of here." He thought and settled in for a nice boat ride.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CARDS PLAYED ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Attrition: MAGIC/Desc: Whenever one of your monsters decreases the ATK or DEF of one of your opponent's monsters, subtract the number of attack points the monster who decreased the other monster's points from whatever mode it is in.  
  
Rocket Warrior: ****/1500/1300/Warrior Type/Desc: Once per turn, you may weaken one of your opponent's monster's attack points by 500.  
  
Tribe Infecting Virus: ****/1600/1000/Water Type/Desc: Discard 1 card from your hand and declare 1 Type of monster to destroy all face-up monsters of the declared Type on both sides of the Field.  
  
Sacrifice Rebirth: TRAP/Desc: Sacrifice all monsters on the field. You and your opponent draw cards until you have drawn 5 monster cards. Immediately special summon all 5-monster cards to the field (Tributes are not necessary for monsters level 5 and up) in face up attack or defense mode. All other cards drawn that are not monsters are discarded to the graveyard.  
  
The Fiend Megacyber: ******/2200/1200/Warrior Type/Desc: If your opponent has 2 or more monsters than you have on the Field, you can summon this card without offering any Tributes.  
  
Harpie Lady: ****/1300/1400/Winged Beast Type  
  
Harpie's Pet Dragon: *******/2000/2500/Dragon Type/Desc: Increase the ATK and DEF of this card by 300 points for each face up "Harpie Lady" card on the field, or 900 points for each face up "Harpie Lady Sisters" card on the field.  
  
Goddess with the Third Eye: ****/1200/1000/Fairy Type/Desc: You can substitute this card for any 1 Fusion-Material Monster. You cannot substitute for any other Fusion-Material Monster in the current Fusion.  
  
Serpent Night Dragon: *******/2350/2400/Dragon Type  
  
Axe Raider: ****/1750/1150/Warrior Type  
  
Flame Swordsman: *****/1800/1600/Warrior/Fusion Type/Desc: "Flame Manipulator" + "Masaki the Legendary Swordsman"  
  
Red Eyes Black Dragon: *******/2400/2000/Dragon Type  
  
Time Wizard: ***/500/400/Spellcaster Type/Desc: Toss a coin and call Heads or Tails. If you call it right, your opponent's monsters on the Field are destroyed. If you call it wrong, your own monsters on the Field are destroyed and you lose Life Points equal to half the total ATK of the destroyed monsters. This card can be used only during your own turn, once per turn.  
  
Island Turtle: ****/1100/2000/Water Type  
  
Elegant Egotist: When there are 1 or more "Harpie Lady" cards on the field, you can Special Summon 1 "Harpie Lady" or "Harpie Lady Sisters" card from your hand or your Deck.  
  
Harpie Lady Sisters: ******/1950/2150/Winged Beast Type/Desc: This monster can only be Special Summoned with the Magic Card "Elegant Egotist".  
  
Raigeki: MAGIC/Desc: Destroys all of your opponent's monsters on the field.  
  
Mirror Force: TRAP/Desc: When an opponent's monster attacks, negate the attack and destroy all opponent's monsters in Attack position.  
  
The Shallow Grave: MAGIC/Desc: Each player takes 1 Monster Card from his/her respective Graveyard and Special Summons them on the Field in face- up Defense Position.  
  
Shadow Ghoul: *****/1600/1300/Zombie Type/Desc: Increase the ATK of this monster by 100 for each monster in your own Graveyard.  
  
Scapegoat: QUICK-PLAY MAGIC/Desc: When this card is activated, you cannot summon any monster in the same turn (including Flip Summon and Special Summon). Place 4 'Sheep Tokens' (Beast-Type/EARTH/1 Star/ATK 0/DEF 0) in Defense Position on the your side of the field. The tokens cannot be used as a Tribute for a Tribute Summon.  
  
Virus Cannon: TRAP/Desc: When this card is activated, your opponent must discard the top 10 magic cards on his or her deck.  
  
Detour: TRAP/Desc: This card can only be activated when your opponent's card or cards are about to go to the graveyard. Until the End Phase in which this card is activated, all cards that would go to your opponent's graveyard go to yours.  
  
Monster Reborn: MAGIC/Desc: Select 1 Monster Card from either your opponent's or your own Graveyard and place it on the field under your control in Attack or Defense Position (face-up). This is considered a Special Summon.  
  
Labyrinth Wall: *****/0/3000/Rock Type  
  
Battle Warrior: ***/700/1000/Warrior Type  
  
Magical Labyrinth: EQUIP MAGIC/Desc: Equip "Labyrinth Wall" with this card. If you offer "Labyrinth Wall" equipped with this card as a Tribute, you can Special Summon "Wall Shadow" from your Deck.  
  
Wall Shadow: *******/1600/3000/Warrior Type/Desc: You cannot Normal Summon this monster. This card con only be Special Summoned by offering "Labyrinth Wall" equipped with "Magical Labyrinth" as a Tribute. No other Tribute Monsters are necessary.  
  
Polymerization: MAGIC/Desc: Fuses 2 or more monsters to form a new Fusion Monster.  
  
Black Shadow: **********/0/0/Fiend/Fusion Type/Desc: "Wall Shadow"+ "Shadow Ghoul". The only way to Special Summon this monster is by offering a face up Wall Shadow and Shadow Ghoul as a tribute. When this monster is summoned, destroy all of your other monsters on your side of the field. This monster gains 500 attack and defense points for every card in your graveyard.  
  
Graceful Charity: MAGIC/Desc: Draw 3 cards from your deck, then discard any 2 cards from your hand.  
  
Pot of Greed: MAGIC/Desc: Draw 2 cards from your deck.  
  
Twin Swords: EQUIP MAGIC/Desc: Equip this card to one monster. If the equipped monster attacks, and there is a monster left on your opponent's side of the field, the equipped monster may attack twice.  
  
Imperial Decree: TRAP/Desc: Your opponent may not Normal Summon, Tribute Summon, or Flip Summon a monster during their next turn.  
  
Metalmorph: TRAP/Desc: After activation, this card is used to equip a face- up monster. The monster equipped with this card increases its ATK and DEF by 400 points. When attacking with a monster equipped with this card, you can further increase its ATK by an amount equal to half the ATK of your target.  
  
Red Eyes Black Metal Dragon: ********/2800/2400/Machine Type/Desc: This card can only be Special Summoned from the Deck to the field by offering "Red-Eyes B. Dragon" equipped with "Metalmorph" as a Tribute. Your Deck is then shuffled.  
  
Devil's Comedian: TRAP/Desc: Toss a coin and call it. If you call it right, all your opponent's cards in the Graveyard are removed from play immediately. If you call it wrong, send a number of cards equal to the cards in your opponent's Graveyard from your Deck to your Graveyard. 


	14. Machine vs Man, Part I: Blown Back

Disclaimer: See Chapter 13 for details  
  
Chapter 14: Machine vs. Man, Part I: Blown Back  
  
"Great. Back in a virtual world again." muttered Seto Kaiba as he walked along the ice field he was trapped in.  
  
"You bored Seto? Maybe a duel would be more interesting for you." A figure said, who dashed out from behind an iceberg, who was a Panther Warrior.  
  
"A Panther Warrior..heh." Seto smirked. "Well if it's a duel you want, then it would be rude to stop you!" he yelled loading his Duel Disk.  
  
"Fine then. Choose a deck master and let us begin!" commanded Panther Warrior as Seto flipped through his cards and smirked at a certain one. "I choose Vampire Lord!" he yelled as the vampire instantly appeared next to him. Both duelists' life points rose to 4000, and they both drew 5 cards.  
  
Panther Warrior drew his sixth card. "I summon Overdrive (1600/1500) in attack mode and set one card face down to end my turn." He stated as a metal tank appeared on the field.  
  
Kaiba drew. "I summon Spear Dragon (1900/0) in attack mode! Spear Dragon blow away his tank now!" commanded Kaiba as the dragon unleashed a powerful cyclone, vaporizing the tank. (PW's LP: 3700)  
  
"Now since Spear Dragon goes into defense mode, I'll set two cards face down and end my turn." He added as the dragon folded its wings into a defensive stance.  
  
"Very well Seto." Panther Warrior said, drawing. "Now I summon Robotic Knight (1600/1800) in attack mode. Robotic Knight attack Spear Dragon!" he commanded as the knight launched a red blast at the dragon.  
  
"You just had to activate my trap, Black Rage! This card switches my Spear Dragon into attack mode immediately! Spear Dragon, counterattack!" commanded Kaiba as the dragon unleashed another wind blowing back the weak red blast and vaporizing Robotic Knight. (PW's LP: 3400)  
  
"And now it's my turn!" Kaiba instantly responded. "I sacrifice Spear Dragon to summon Swordstalker (2000/1600). Swordstalker attack Panther Warrior's life points directly!" burst Kaiba as the monster growled and slashed down on Panther Warrior, knocking him back. (PW's LP: 1400)  
  
"You're pathetic! I even had a bigger challenge against that novice Joey Wheeler back in Duelist Kingdom!" he laughed.  
  
Panther Warrior stood up and snickered, right when Kaiba stopped. "Well this is where your challenge gets interesting. I knew I wouldn't be able to destroy your Spear Dragon when it was in defense mode, and I knew I had to attack. I needed that attack, for now I'm about to blow you away!" he promised, and drew.  
  
"I activate Ancient Demon Sacrifice! This card allows me to remove monsters from my graveyard, equal to one more than the number of monsters a high level card in my hand would need tributes for, but all the monsters I remove from play and the monster I intend to summon must be of the same type: Machine!"  
  
"But incase you may be confused Seto, let me point it out by example, I can remove from play Robotic Knight and Overdrive, to summon Machine King (2200/2000+100) to the field!" he explained as a large machine ruler came onto the field. "And as you must know, he gains 100 attack points for each machine card on the field, including itself! Now, Machine King prepare to attack Swordstalker!" he declared as the machine launched a bright blue blast at Swordstalker, overwhelming and shattering it. (K's LP: 3700)  
  
"Heh. An oversized machine. That the best card in your deck? Cause if it is it won't last long against my assault! I summon Vorse Raider (1900/1200) to the field in defense mode." He growled. "And I'll set one card face down and end my turn."  
  
"That all? Maybe the famous Seto Kaiba is losing his touch. But before Machine King destroys Vorse Raider, I'll set one card face down and, next I'll activate Seven Completed to raise his power! (3000/2000) Machine King, annihilate Vorse Raider!" commanded Panther Warrior as the bright blue blast enveloped Vorse Raider.  
  
"First, I reveal one card I have set, Shrink! This card cuts Vorse Raider's attack power in half to 950!" Kaiba proudly announced. And you've done just what I needed you to do! I needed Vorse Raider destroyed so I can activate my almighty crush card trap!" Kaiba snickered as the card flipped up.  
  
"And by activating your trap, you've activated mine. I knew you'd fall into this Mr. Kaiba and that's exactly why I set it. Reveal, Trap Displacement! You see, Kaiba, this powerful counter trap will turn your own Crush Card Virus back on you!" he laughed as Kaiba looked at his duel disk reading "Virus" and saw all his monsters with more than 1500 attack points glowing. He grabbed them all and stuck them in his graveyard slot, and was left with a deck of 17 cards.  
  
"I'll set Spirit Ryu (1000/1000) in attack mode and activate the trap Backup Soldier, so I can return all three of my Blue Eyes White Dragons back to my hand!" he announced as his three favorite cards were back in his hand.  
  
"So you got your 3 most powerful monsters back into your hand. You can't use them Seto, they are 2x as powerful as the Crush Card's restrictions! But anyway, I'll set one monster in face down defense and switch Machine King to defense mode and end my move." He declared.  
  
Kaiba instantly drew. "Not attacking was your first mistake! I switch Spirit Ryu into attack mode, and since Spirit Ryu gains 1000 points for each dragon card I discard, I'll discard all 3 of my mighty Blue Eyes White Dragons, giving my Spirit Ryu 4000 attack points! Spirit Ryu attack Machine King!" commanded Kaiba as the dragon launched a blast of sonic waves, destroying the machine monster.  
  
"My move Seto. First, I reveal Cyber Jar (900/900)!" he announced as the pod absorbed Spirit Ryu and then self-destructed. "You know what happens Seto. We pick up 5 cards and show them to each other." He explained as all 5 cards virtually appeared in front of the card plate.  
  
"Well I get to summon Machine Corp (1600/1800), Mechanical Chaser (1850/800), X Head Cannon (1800/1500), Inpanchi (1600/1900) and Cyber Falcon (1400/1200) to the field!" he said as all 5 monsters materialized onto the field.  
  
"I can only summon Battle Ox (1700/1000) and Rabid Horseman (1300/1550) in defense mode."  
  
"Your pathetic Seto! But this monster should seem familiar. I sacrifice Cyber Falcon to summon Machine King (2200/2000 +500)! Next, I'll activate Machine Conversion Factory to raise the attack and defense of my Machine King by 300 points! (3000/2300)! Machine King attack Battle Ox!" commanded the panther as the machine blasted a stronger bright blue blast shattering the ox.  
  
"Now X Head Cannon, wipe out Mystic Horseman!" he added as the cannon blasted a missile at the half man, half horse blowing him away. "Now Machine Corp, Mechanical Chaser and Inpanchi, kill Seto!" he laughed as the three monsters dodged at Seto, ready to wipe him out.  
  
"Reveal Negate Attack." He smirked as the trap absorbed all 3 monster's assaults.  
  
(Negate Attack!? Why didn't he spring it on my first attack, Kaiba's up to something.) thought Panther Warrior.  
  
"Now, I will rid the field of my virus! By activating Remove Trap!" he yelled as the trap exterminated Kaiba's virus card. "Now I'll activate Premature Burial!" he announced, "by sacrificing 800 life points (K's LP: 2900), I can revive Blue Eyes White Dragon (3000/2500)!"  
  
"My great beast, destroy his Machine Corp! White Lightning Attack!" he commanded as the dragon unleashed a raging lightning blast, incinerating the machine monster.  
  
"I'm not completely finished Kaiba! I activate Rush Recklessly so my monster gains 700 attack points, so I'll end up taking half the damage I should be." (PW's LP: 700)  
  
"Don't forget, Machine King loses 100 attack points since a machine monster is destroyed." He cleverly added as Machine King's stats barely lowered: (2900/2300)  
  
"Minor setback." Panther Warrior spat. "And was I right, for now I activate the magic card Revival Battle, which is a good thing for you Seto, for you can now summon 4 monsters from your graveyard to the field." He explained as Seto laughed.  
  
"Have you gone completely crazy? But oh well, you don't see me complaining! I summon my last two Blue Eyes White Dragons! (3000/2500), Judge Man (2200/1500), and Hyozanryu (2100/2800)!" Kaiba announced as his precious monsters stood before him.  
  
"Now here comes my favorite part. Your destruction! First, I activate the magic card, Machine Summoning! Every time I inflict battle damage to your life points I can summon a machine monster from my hand, and even worse I can have up to 10 monsters on the field!" he snickered.  
  
"And that's supposed to scare me. I can rip apart your machines with my Blue Eyes White Dragons!" he responded.  
  
"I'm not stupid Seto. I can activate a card to destroy you! Go! Clockwork Night!" he burst as he slapped the card down. All of Kaiba's monsters became overcome with a metal coating. "Part one of this card turns all of your monsters into machines! And last time I checked, that boosts the power of Machine King by 500 points!" he chuckled. (Machine King: 3400/2300) "Part two of this card lowers all of your monsters attack points by 500!" he added on. (Blue Eyes White Dragon x3: 2500/2500), (Judge Man: 1700/1500), (Hyozanryu 1600/2800) Seto growled.  
  
"Last but certainly not least, this card boosts the attack points of my machine monsters by 500 points!" he continued and laughed a deep, long laugh. (Machine King: 3900/2300), (Mechanical Chaser: 2350/800), (X Head Cannon: 2300/1500), (Inpanchi: 2100/1900)  
  
"Machine King! Attack Blue Eyes White Dragon immediately!" he demanded as his favorite monster launched the blue blast to incinerate the dragon.  
  
"Right into my hands again!" Kaiba retorted. "Reverse magic card, Magic Textbooks! This card allows me to discard my hand," he demonstrated "and shuffle my deck" he explained.  
  
(Come on deck, you've put me in tougher situations before!) He thought as he drew his top card. "If this card is a magic card, I can activate it immediately!" he concluded and looked at the card.  
  
"Well look at that! I can activate my Polymerization card to fuse my 3 Blue Eyes White Dragons!" he chuckled as the three dragons came together into Kaiba's most terrifying beast. "Behold the power of my Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon (4500/3800)! Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon, counterattack, burn his machine to ashes!" happily commanded Kaiba as all 3 lightning blasts merged and blew up the Machine King. The huge blast shook some of the ice and even melted a little near where Machine King was standing. (PW's LP: 100)  
  
"Give it up! You may have had me down for a LITTLE while, but now my Ultimate Dragon will crush all of your little worthless machine monsters next turn!" bragged Kaiba.  
  
Panther Warrior cursed slightly under his breath, growled, and then glared at Kaiba, who was snickering. He confidently drew, but he knew this would be the end of him.  
  
"Make it quick. We both know my dragon will destroy anything you play!" barked Seto.  
  
"Oh really? You might want to check again Kaiba!" he hauntingly laughed which made Kaiba snarl. "This will be the end of you! Activate a magic card I set for you last turn Doppelganger! This will instantly create myself a copy of your Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon (4500/3800) and are you ready to meet your destruction? I sure am! I'll play a magic card that can defeat you like that . Go my all mighty Second Strength card! This card allows me to transfer my dragon's defense points to its attack points! So, I'll take the opportunity to transfer all 3800-defense points to it's 4500 attack strength, increasing it's power to 8300! Even better yet you have no set cards, so it's the end of Kaiba, at last!"  
  
"And now the show comes to an end! Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon, attack Kaiba's Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon, destroy him forever!" he cheered.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CARDS PLAYED ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Panther Warrior: ****/2000/1600/Beast-Warrior Type/Desc: This card must have a sacrifice to attack/DECK MASTER ABILITY: Discard cards from your hand. Lower one monster's attack strength by 300 for each card you discard.  
  
Vampire Lord: *****/2000/1500/Zombie Type/Desc: Each time this monster inflicts Battle Damage to your opponent, name one type of card (Monster, Magic, or Trap). Your opponent selects one card of that type and sends it to the graveyard. Also, when this card is sent to the graveyard by an opponent's card effect, it is special summoned to the field during your next standby phase/DECK MASTER ABILITY: Pay 500 life points to immediately Special Summon one monster from your graveyard to the field. The card may be destroyed at the end of the turn, or you can pay 300 life points per turn to keep the card on the field.  
  
Overdrive: ****/1600/1500/Machine Type  
  
Spear Dragon: ****/1900/0/Dragon Type/Desc: If this card attacks with an ATK that is higher than the DEF of your opponent's Defense Position monster, inflict the difference as Battle Damage to your opponent's Life Points. When this card attacks, it is changed to Defense Position at the end of the Damage Step.  
  
Robotic Knight (aka Machine Corp): ****/1600/1800/Machine Type  
  
Black Rage: TRAP/Desc: This card can only be activated when one of your opponent's monsters is attacking a monster in defense mode. Switch the targeted card to attack mode immediately.  
  
Swordstalker: ******/2000/1600/Warrior Type  
  
Ancient Demon Sacrifice: QUICK PLAY MAGIC/Desc: Remove monsters in your graveyard from play, equal to one more than the number of tributes a level 5+ monster in your hand would require. All monsters removed from play, and the level 5+ monster to be summoned must be of the same type or this card is destroyed. Summon the level 5+ monster immediately.  
  
Machine King: ******/2200/2000/Machine Type/Desc: This card gains 100 points for each machine type monster on the field (including itself).  
  
Vorse Raider: ****/1900/1200/Warrior Type  
  
Seven Completed: EQUIPMENT MAGIC/Desc: A machine type monster equipped with this card gains 700 attack or defense points. As long as the monster remains on the field, you cannot change your choice.  
  
Shrink: QUICK PLAY MAGIC/Desc: Cut one monster's attack strength in half.  
  
Crush Card: PERMANENT TRAP/Desc: This card can only be equipped with a Dark type monster with 1000 attack points or less. When this card is activated, your opponent immediately discards all monsters on their field, hand, and deck to the graveyard with more than 1500 attack points.  
  
Trap Displacement: COUNTER TRAP/Desc: You can only activate this card when your opponent activates a trap card. Switch the target of the trap card to another monster or player of your choosing.  
  
Spirit Ryu: ****/1000/1000/Dragon Type/Desc: Each time you discard 1 Dragon- Type monster from your hand to the Graveyard during your Battle Step, increase the ATK and DEF of this monster by 1000 points until the End Step of that turn.  
  
Backup Soldier: TRAP/Desc: You can activate this card when there are 5 or more Monster Cards in your Graveyard. Take up to 3 Monster Cards (except monsters with effects) with an ATK of 1500 points or less from your Graveyard and add them to your hand.  
  
Cyber Jar: ***/900/900/Rock Type/Desc: FLIP: Destroy all monsters on the field (including this monster). Both players then pick up (not Draw) 5 cards from the top of their respective Decks and show the cards to each other. Immediately special summon any Monster Cards of Level 4 or lower among them on the field in face-up Attack Position or facedown Defense Position. The rest of the cards picked up are placed in the player's hand.  
  
Mechanical Chaser: ****/1850/800/Machine Type  
  
X Head Cannon: ****/1800/1500/Machine/Union Type  
  
Inpanchi: ****/1600/1900/Machine Type  
  
Cyber Falcon: ****/1400/1200/Machine Type  
  
Battle Ox: ****/1700/1000/Beast-Warrior Type  
  
Mystic Horseman: ****/1300/1550/Beast-Warrior Type  
  
Machine Conversion Factory: EQUIPMENT MAGIC/Desc: A Machine type monster equipped with this card gains 300 attack and defense points.  
  
Negate Attack: TRAP/Desc: When your opponent attacks with a monster, negate the attack and make your opponent's Battle Phase end.  
  
Remove Trap: MAGIC/Desc: Destroys 1 face-up Trap Card on the field.  
  
Premature Burial: MAGIC/Desc: Pay 800 Life Points. Select 1 Monster Card from your Graveyard, Special Summon it on the Field in face-up Attack Position, and equip it with this card. When this card is destroyed, the monster is also destroyed.  
  
Blue Eyes White Dragon: ********/3000/2500/Dragon Type  
  
Rush Recklessly: QUICK PLAY MAGIC/Desc: Increase 1 monster's ATK by 700 points during the turn this card is activated.  
  
Revival Battle: MAGIC/Desc: Your opponent summons monsters from his or her graveyard to fill up all vacant monster card zones.  
  
Judge Man: ******/2200/1500/Warrior Type  
  
Hyozanryu: *******/2100/2800/Dragon Type  
  
Machine Summoning: PERMANENT MAGIC/Desc: Whenever a machine monster inflicts Battle Damage to your opponent's life points, you may summon a machine monster from your hand (tributes are not necessary for monsters level 5 and higher). As long as this card remains face up on the field you may have up to 10 machine type monsters on your side of the field.  
  
Clockwork Night: PERMANENT MAGIC/Desc: All Monsters on the Field become Machine Sub-Type Monsters. (Monsters summoned after this card is played are not affected.) Increase the attack strength of all Machine Sub-Type Monsters on your Field by 500. Reduce the attack strength of all Machine Sub-Type Monsters on your opponent's Field by 500.  
  
Magic Textbooks: QUICK PLAY MAGIC/Desc: Discard your hand. Shuffle your deck, and then draw the top card of your deck. If that card is a Magic card, you can activate it immediately.  
  
Polymerization: MAGIC/Desc: Fuse 2 or more monsters on the field or in your hand to form a new fusion monster.  
  
Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon: ************/4500/3800/Dragon/Fusion Type/Desc: "Blue Eyes White Dragon" + "Blue Eyes White Dragon" + "Blue Eyes White Dragon"  
  
Doppelganger: QUICK PLAY MAGIC/Desc: When this card is activated, it becomes a clone of a face up monster, magic, or trap card on your opponent's side of the field or graveyard. When the cloned card is destroyed, this card is destroyed.  
  
Second Strength: MAGIC/Desc: When this card is activated, you may reduce one of your monster's defense points. Increase the same monster's attack points by the number of defence points you reduced. 


	15. Machine vs Man, Part II: Close Call

Disclaimer: See Chapter 14 for details  
  
Chapter 15: Machine vs. Man Part II: Close Call  
  
"Destroy him my beast!" came the second order of Panther Warrior. The triple launched attack was devastating compared to the one Kaiba launched a few turns before.  
  
"You must grow tired of being wrong so many times... The thing is I couldn't have set this card, so I can activate this card from my hand! Go Magic Wave! This card allows me to discard all magic cards in my hand..." he began as he slipped 2 cards into the graveyard slot "and I can instantly activate one magic card from my deck!" he concluded as his deck pushed out one card.  
  
"So now I can activate De-Fusion!" Kaiba yelled.  
  
"Damn you!" Panther Warrior retaliated. "But what's the difference I have this Polymerization in my hand," he said showing it to Kaiba "so I can fuse my three Blue Eyes White Dragons back together!" he laughed. "Hate to break it to you, but you're the one who's wrong!"  
  
"Maybe you should check the rules of De-Fusion! This card allows you to summon back 3 Blue Eyes White Dragons from your graveyard! But you don't have 3 Blue Eyes in your graveyard do you? So that leaves your Doppelganger card gone." Kaiba laughed. "Fool."  
  
"It may be that but I can still summon a monster to defend me! So I activate Cost Down, and by discarding a card from my hand, I am able to summon Destructor Wall (0/6000) in defense mode! I'll set this card face down and end my move." He smiled.  
  
"Well then, I'll take the time to summon this! Lord of Dragons (1200/1100) in attack mode! Looks like I'm in control of this duel now! You've only got your Wall, and since it loses 1000 defense points at the beginning of your turn, next turn I'll take your shield down and finish you!" said Kaiba in his calm manner.  
  
"Think twice Kaiba! My wall may lose 1000 defense points (0/5000) but it comes with a very interesting price. For now I summon Witch of the Black Forest (1100/1200) in defense mode and set one card face down. Bring on this assault you promised" snickered Panther Warrior.  
  
"Well then, first I'll need to activate this magic card, Rare Metal Soul! This card increases my fused Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon's attack strength by 1000! Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon, attack his Destructor Wall now!" came the raging voice of Kaiba as the three lightning blasts merged and blew up on contact with the enormous shield.  
  
But when the dust cleared, the monster was still standing. "Your attack activates my trap card! Magician's Select! Now your Lord of Dragons will be destroyed!" Panther Warrior explained as the magic card shot a purple blast, wiping out the dragon master. "Now that leaves your Ultimate Dragon ready for my all powerful assault to bring it down! I believe you recognize this card!" he yelled holding up a Clockwork Night card.  
  
"Clockwork Night will transform your Ultimate Dragon into a machine as you know, and weaken it to 5000 attack points!" he explained once again.  
  
"And now you're dragon meets its demise beginning with this card!" he burst, slapping a card onto the disk. "Acid Rain Storm! This card wipes out all opposing machine type monsters!" he laughed as acid rain came down, melting the dragon. It let out a sharp cry before melting into the abyss.  
  
"But luckily for Kaiba, playing Acid Rain Storm in combination with Clockwork Night forces me to end my turn. So, I'll set this card face down and end my move." He chuckled as Kaiba hissed slightly.  
  
"My move now!" he declared, drawing. "Perfect! Now I can activate Magic Sanctuary! My almighty magic card first, allows both of us to put one magic card from our decks into our hand!" he explained as Kaiba grabbed his deck and began flipping through it and stopping when he came to a certain card, as did Panther Warrior.  
  
"Now I can summon a monster with great power! First, I'll need to summon The Wicked Worm Beast (1400/700) in attack mode, and next I'll activate Cemetery Balance! By sacrificing my monster, I can resurrect one monster from my graveyard! Namely, my Blue Eyes White Dragon! (3000/2500)! Blue Eyes White Dragon wipe out his pathetic witch! White Lightning Attack!" Kaiba commanded as the dragon launched a massive stream of white lightning at the witch, blowing her away with its force.  
  
"Thank you Mr. Kaiba for doing that! Now I summon Z-Metal Caterpillar (1500/1300) in attack mode! Afterwards, I'll activate a rare magic card, Mask of the Accursed! This card will attach to your Blue Eyes White Dragon, Kaiba, and it will take 500 life points away from you each turn! If you can do the math, that means you'll be eliminated in 6 turns!" he snickered, and in case you have any plans to rid the field of my mask, I'll set another card face down and end my turn." He exclaimed.  
  
Kaiba drew as the mask sent a blast of electricity at him. He easily took the pain, but sighed. (K's LP: 2400) (Wonderful) thought Kaiba noticing the card he drew. "Now! I sacrifice Blue Eyes White Dragon..."  
  
"Not today Kaiba! Activate trap card, Mask of Restrict! As you know this card does not allow you to sacrifice monsters! So, you're stuck with that mask on your dragon's face until the end of eternity!" he smiled.  
  
"Think that will keep me down? I'll set one card face down and then activate Exchange of the Spirit! For the cost of 1000 life points (K's LP: 1400) our decks and graveyards switch" declared Kaiba who swapped the two slots, as did Panther Warrior.  
  
(Playing straight into my hands...err..paws) thought the clever panther. "My turn then? I'll begin by drawing, and playing a Pot of Greed card!" he exclaimed drawing his 2 cards. (Beautiful) I'll summon Y-Dragon Head (1500/1600)! Finally, I'll activate this Monster Reborn! Revive X-Head Cannon (1800/1500)" he announced as his third machine monster appeared on the field.  
  
(No...) Kaiba thought.  
  
"Relax Kaiba, I've got bigger plans than to summon the XYZ-Dragon Cannon. Just wait. In the meantime, I'll set one card face down on the field and I guess I'll end my turn from here." He stated as Kaiba took a step back.  
  
"And we go back to Kaiba's turn, who loses 500 life points thanks to my favorite card in the world!" he snickered as another jolt hit Kaiba. (K's LP: 900) "My dragon's trapped, but I can save him. Prepare to have your mask obliterated! I activate the magic card, Active Destruction! This card has the power to destroy all magic and trap cards currently active on the dueling field!" he elaborated as two fireballs came down to impale Mask of Restrict and the Mask of the Accursed, and a third came and impaled Active Destruction itself.  
  
"Now my mighty dragon, take down his Z-Metal Caterpillar! White Lightning!" commanded Kaiba as the mighty blast was launched from the dragon's mouth.  
  
"Reverse trap card, Hexagram Curse!" instantly responded Panther Warrior as the spell of magic encased the dragon, who roared a devastating cry. Kaiba growled.  
  
"I'll set this card face down and end my turn."  
  
"Now it's my move! You ready for my big surprise? I sacrifice X-Head Cannon, Y-Dragon Head, and Z-Metal Caterpillar to summon this!" he bellowed. "I call forth to the field my Guilford the Lightning! (2800/1400)" he announced as the warrior materialized on the field.  
  
"What is that thing?!" Kaiba remarked.  
  
"This thing has the power to destroy your Blue Eyes White Dragon instantly!" he responded as lightning came and electrocuted the dragon.  
  
"Once again I've got you cornered!" said Kaiba, as the dragon was standing taller and prouder than ever along with Kaiba's face down card.  
  
"By summoning Guilford to the field you activated my face down trap card, Power Drain! This mighty trap has the power to equip to your Guilford! In addition, this trap will negate all of your monster's effects." He slyly said as a black mask attached onto Guilford's face. The mask let loose a stream of purple energy into the air, and the lightning abruptly ended.  
  
"I'll set a card face down," mumbled Panther Warrior.  
  
"Pathetic move for a pathetic person, how ironic. However, it's my turn! First, Blue Eyes White Dragon, attack Guilford the Lightning! Destroy his last defense!" commanded the raging voice of Kaiba. The dragon obeyed its master and launched its signature stream of white lightning, completely annihilating the monster. (PW'S LP: 0)  
  
"NO! How could this have happened?!" Panther Warrior burst, as he disappeared into darkness.  
  
"Heh." Seto smirked as he walked off. Soon he came to a subway station and decided to check it out. A train was there so Kaiba decided to investigate it. However, as soon as he stepped onboard, the train instantly became full of life and dashed off non-stop. As soon as the train was out of sight, Yugi Moto was walking down the flight of subway stairs.  
  
"Could have sworn I heard something." He thought, going back up the flight of stairs.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CARDS PLAYED ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Magic Wave: QUICK PLAY MAGIC/Desc: Discard all magic cards from your hand, and immediately activate one magic card from your deck. This card cannot be activated if you have no magic cards in your hand. Limited: One Per Deck  
  
De-Fusion: Return 1 Fusion Monster Card on the field to the Fusion Deck. In addition, if all the Fusion-Material monsters for the returned Fusion Monster Card are in your Graveyard, you can Special Summon them all to the field in face-up Attack or Defense Position.  
  
Cost Down: MAGIC/Desc: Discard one card from your hand. Downgrade all monster cards in your hand by 2 levels until the End Phase in which this card is played.  
  
Destructor Wall: ******/0/6000/Rock Type/Desc: This monster loses 1000 defense points during each of your standby phases. You may pay 1500 of this monster's defense points to destroy all defense type monsters on the field.  
  
Lord of Dragons: ****/1200/1100/Spellcaster Type/Desc: All Dragon-Type monsters cannot be targeted by Magic Cards, Trap Cards, or other effects that specifically designate a target while this card is face-up on the field.  
  
Witch of the Black Forest: ****/1100/1200/Spellcaster Type/Desc: When this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard, move 1 monster with a DEF of 1500 or less from your Deck to your hand. Your Deck is then shuffled.  
  
Rare Metal Soul: EQUIP MAGIC/Desc: This card may only be equipped to a fusion monster. Increase the fused monster's attack power by 1000.  
  
Magician's Select: TRAP/Desc: You can activate this card if you have a Magic User Sub-Type Monster on the Field when your opponent attacks. Negate that attack, and destroy your opponent's face-up Monster on the Field with the lowest attack strength.  
  
Clockwork Night: PERMANENT MAGIC/Desc: All Monsters on the Field become Machine Sub-Type Monsters. (Monsters summoned after this card is played are not affected.) Increase the attack strength of all Machine Sub-Type Monsters on your Field by 500. Reduce the attack strength of all Machine Sub-Type Monsters on your opponent's Field by 500.  
  
Acid Rain Storm: QUICK PLAY MAGIC/Desc: Destroy all of your opponent's machine type monsters on the field. If this card is played in the same turn as "Clockwork Night", you must end your turn immediately after activating this card.  
  
Magic Sanctuary: PERMANENT MAGIC/Desc: When this card is played, each player puts 1 Magic card from his or her deck into his or her hand, then shuffles his or her deck. While this card is on the Field, players can play Magic cards during other players' turns.  
  
The Wicked Worm Beast: ***/1400/700/Beast/Desc: This card is returned to your hand at the end of your turn.  
  
Cemetery Balance: MAGIC/Desc: Sacrifice one monster on your side of the field to summon a monster from your graveyard in face up attack position.  
  
Z-Metal Caterpillar: ****/1500/1300/Machine Type  
  
Mask of the Accursed: EQUIP MAGIC/Desc: The monster equipped with this card cannot attack. In addition, the player controlling the equipped monster must take damage of 500 Life Points during each of your Standby Phases.  
  
Exchange of the Spirit: MAGIC/Desc: Pay 1000 life points to swap the player's decks with their graveyards.  
  
Pot of Greed: MAGIC/Desc: Draw 2 cards from your deck.  
  
Y-Dragon Head: ****/1500/1600/Machine Type  
  
Monster Reborn: MAGIC/Desc: Select 1 Monster Card from either your opponent's or your own Graveyard and place it on the field under your control in Attack or Defense Position (face-up). This is considered a Special Summon.  
  
X-Head Cannon: ****/1800/1500/Machine Type  
  
Active Destruction: QUICK PLAY MAGIC/Desc: Destroy all face up magic and trap cards on the field.  
  
Hexagram Curse: Select a monster. As long as this card remains face-up on the field, the selected monster cannot attack or change its battle position except by the effect of a Magic, Trap, or Effect Monster card. When the selected is destroyed, this card is also destroyed. If the selected monster is offered as a Tribute, this card is not destroyed.  
  
Guilford The Lightning: Level 9 / 2800/1400/ Warrior Type / Desc: This monster can only be special summoned by sacrificing 3 Light Type monsters on the field. When this monster is summoned your opponent's monsters are destroyed and sent to the graveyard.  
  
Power Drain: TRAP/Desc: This card can only be activated when a level 7 or higher monster has been successfully normal summoned or special summoned to the field. Equip this card to the monster. If the monster has an effect, it is immediately negated. If the monster does not have an effect, inflict 1000 points of direct damage to your opponent's life points. A monster equipped with this card cannot attack. 


	16. The Line of Fire: Direct Damage

Disclaimer: See Chapter 15 for details  
  
Chapter 16: The Line of Fire: Direct Damage  
  
Yugi Moto had reached the top of the stairs to the familiar, but empty airport terminal that the stairs led from. This time however he noticed a shadow round the corner. The Millennium Puzzle briefly glowed as he walked to the corner. He reached around but nothing was there. He turned the corner slyly, but discovered to his relief it was only a plant. He kept walking around the terminal, and followed one tunnel that led directly to the airplanes. However, one plane was different than all the others, and Yugi quickly noticed it. It was missing one of its blue stripes, and its door was open. He decided to check it out.  
  
"Hmm..." he thought. Suddenly, the platform Yugi was standing upon rose up onto the top of the plane. Another platform rose and Yugi recognized a familiar duel monster, the Fire Sorcerer. "You know what I'm here for...don't you Yugi?" she asked.  
  
"A duel?" he sarcastically answered, loading his duel disk.  
  
"Well who told you? Anyway.." she said, her tone changing drastically, "choose a deck master and let the torture begin!"  
  
"I have chosen Black Magician Girl (2000/1700) to act as my Deck Master!" he proclaimed. Fire Sorcerer sighed.  
  
"I actually feel like being generous, so Yugi you can take the first turn." She declared as Yugi drew 6 cards.  
  
"For my first move I summon Magnet Warrior Beta (1700/1600) in attack mode and set one card face down to end my turn." He announced.  
  
"That's all? I'll draw and next, summon Spirit Destroyer (1800/700) in attack mode! Spirit Destroyer attack Beta now!" commanded Fire Sorcerer while the monster dove at Beta.  
  
"Sorry, but by summoning a monster you activated my trap card, Adhesion Trap Hole! This card cuts your Spirit Destroyer's attack power in half (900/700)! Beta, counterattack!" shouted Yugi as the warrior dodged the destroyer's punch, and countered with one of its own, shattering Fire Sorcerer's monster into pieces. (F's LP: 3200)  
  
"Now it's my turn! I summon Gazelle, King of Mythical Beasts (1500/1200) in attack mode! Gazelle and Beta, attack Fire Sorcerer's life points directly! End the duel!" commanded Yugi as the monsters both leaped at Fire Sorcerer, their attacks succeeded, only Fire Sorcerer's life points didn't budge.  
  
"What happened?" asked a confused Yugi.  
  
"Easy! My monster isn't called Spirit Destroyer for any reason! When it's sent to the graveyard, my monster crushes your monster's spirits, which cuts both of their attack points to zero! So I took no damage there, kid." She explained as she drew.  
  
"And now you see the full price of my monster's effect. Go Amazoness Fighter (1500/1300) and attack Gazelle!" commanded Fire Sorcerer as the fighter ran up to Gazelle and sent it flying, shattering before it hit the ground. (Y's LP: 2500)  
  
"Time for even more damage for you and good things for me! First, I activate Sobek's Blessings to gain 1500 life points from your battle damage! (F's LP: 4700)  
  
"Then, I activate the magic card, Final Flame! This card takes away 600 of your life points!" she cheered as a flame inswirled Yugi, which he approached carefully and thoughtfully, not getting touched by one flame. (Y's LP: 1900)  
  
"And meet my deck master ability, whenever you receive direct damage, you receive 500 extra points of damage! I'll be finished with this duel in no time." She snickered. (Y's LP: 1400)  
  
"I'll end my turn from here!" she added on while Yugi drew.  
  
"I activate the magic card, Brain Control! This will allow me to control Amazon Fighter!" he explained as a large brain appeared and sent out two ghostly hands grabbing Amazon Fighter and grabbing her to Yugi's field.  
  
"Now I sacrifice Amazon Fighter and Magnet Warrior Beta to summon Black Magician (2500/2100)!" he announced as his favorite mage appeared. Black Magician Girl blushed a small bit when she saw him.  
  
"Black Magician! Nothing is holding you back, attack her life points!" Yugi shouted as the mage twirled his staff and shot black lightning from it, severly damaging Fire Sorcerer. (F's LP: 2200)  
  
"That attack is just the first step in bringing you down!" he announced as Fire Sorcerer drew.  
  
(Too bad you'll never get to that last step with the way things are going.) she laughed.  
  
"Now I set one card face down and activate Last Ditch Effort to summon 1 sheep tokens!" she announced as a sheep and a card image all appeared on the field. "Your move." She added.  
  
Yugi drew without hesitation. "Reverse trap card, Minor Goblin Official!" she burst, "this trap will take away 500 life points from you if your life points are 3000 or less." She explained as that last part caught Yugi's attention.  
  
(Her trap won't work if we can get our life points higher than 3000. And I've got the perfect combination to do it!) he thought to his other personality. (But first we have to attack.) (Y's LP: 900)  
  
"Black Magician, attack the goat!" commanded Yugi as the black lightning wiped out the yellow goat. Black Magician Girl smiled.  
  
"Next, I'll set these 2 cards face down and end my move." Yugi stated.  
  
"Fine by me." She responded. "Now I'll draw and reveal another one of my deck master's special abilities! I can summon to the field a monster that can deal direct damage by discarding a card from my hand! So now I summon Catapult Turtle (1000/2000) in defense mode! Next turn, I'll take away almost all of your life points Yugi! But not before activating Sparks! This card will take away 200 life points from you!" she announced as 3 sparks of fire came at Yugi, which he dodged. (His leg isn't attached to a chain like it was before you know) (Y's LP: 200)  
  
"Now how to finish the great Yugi Moto off? Should I let my trap finish him? Should I let my Catapult Turtle destroy him? I've got a better idea! What's a more suitable way to destroy him than by activating this! Change of Heart will force Black Magician to obey me!" she laughed as the magician flew over to Fire Sorcerer's field, a look of regret in his eyes before it changed to anger.  
  
"Be gone with you!" Fire Sorcerer announced. "Black Magician, attack and destroy Yugi!" she commanded. The magician slowly raised his staff, still not wanting to attack his master. But the magic card took full control of him, and he unleashed the waves of black lightning to obliterate Yugi.  
  
"Reveal trap card! Interception Attack!" he burst. "My trap will allow me to summon Big Shield Gardna (100/2600) to intercept your attack! However, by rules of this card my monster is automatically destroyed," explained Yugi as the waves of black magic blew away Yugi's defense.  
  
"Now Black Magician, return to me!" exclaimed Yugi as his mage gladly floated back over to him. "I'll set this one card face down, and I summon Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress (1400/1200) in defense mode to end my turn." He concluded.  
  
"Fine by me! Now I summon Spear Dragon (1900/0) in attack mode! Spear Dragon, sacrifice yourself to my Catapult Turtle to launch yourself at Yugi and wipe him out! Goodbye forever!" she burst while the dragon launched itself at Yugi, ready for the final attack.  
  
"I'm not gone yet! Reverse trap card, Black Restoration Energy Wall! This trap card will add the attack points of all monsters on the field to my life points and then it will negate your attack!" Yugi explained as the dragon smacked directly into the energy chasm being knocked back to its original spot. (Y's LP: 7000)  
  
"The tables have turned!" he bellowed. "However, since I have 7000 life points, as you may recall that destroys your Minor Goblin Official trap!" he exclaimed as the trap disintegrated.  
  
"You think I can't harm you now don't you? That's just liked you Yugi, you may be 4 steps ahead, but I'm ALWAYS 2 steps ahead of you! Just like this card will soon demonstrate! Activate Deepest Impact! This card will destroy your Black Magician and Winged Dragon!" she burst as the card unleashed many meteors to exterminate all of Yugi and her monsters. (Y's LP: 3000) (F's LP: 1100)  
  
"Look, now we're not that far apart any more now are we? Now to the field I summon Cannon Soldier (1400/1300)! Cannon Soldier, attack Yugi's life points directly!" she commanded as the cannon unleashed a yellow blast smacking directly into Yugi. Black Magician Girl looked on worriedly. (Y's LP: 1600)  
  
Yugi struggled for a second, before getting back to his feet. "I haven't lost until my life points reach zero." He simply responded as he drew. "Now I call to the field Magnet Warrior Gamma (1500/1800) in attack mode! Gamma attack Cannon Soldier now!" he commanded as the magnet rock smashed through the machine. (F's LP: 1000)  
  
(Typical) she thought. "Oh no Yugi, you may win after all." She sarcastically said, worriedly. "All I can do is activate Rain of Mercy, to increase our life points by 1000. But not before activating, Magical Reproduction Factory, to create 3 Rain of Mercy's to increase our life points by 3000 each!" she gleefully stated. (Y's LP: 6000), (F's LP: 4000)  
  
"Now behold the power of Spirit Cross! For the bargain of my whole hand and the top ten cards off my deck, I can immediately switch our life points." She snickered as she shoved 13 cards into her graveyard. (Y's LP: 4000) (F's LP: 6000)  
  
"That's all I can do for now, but I will be striking back next turn!" she cautioned. Yugi drew with extreme confidence. "First I summon Super Electric Turtle (0/1800) in defense mode, and play this card face down. Your move." He utterly announced. Fire Sorcerer smirked.  
  
"My move! Now I draw! Just in time. Activate Clean Slate! Because I have no cards in my hand, I can draw 6." She explained snatching 6 from the top of her deck. "Now I activate a card that will destroy you! Unleash Dark Snake Syndrome! This card will take away 200 life points from both of us each of my turns! But, the better part is it only BEGINS at 200, it doubles every turn I take. Soon, you'll be history! However, that's enough to put your mind. I end my turn." She cackled.  
  
"My move! First, I summon Dark Elf (2000/800) in attack mode and end my turn." He stated as the elf appeared. (Normally, I would have attacked.) Yugi thought, (but I have to conserve my life points, at least until I can destroy her snake syndrome card. There's got to be some way to get around her direct damage. I just hope I can do it with Black Magician Girl.) He thought, sighing to himself.  
  
"If only you knew what to do huh Yugi? Black Magician Girl is one of the weakest deck masters in the whole game! If you were smart, you'd at least have relied on your all-time favorite, the ultra rare Black Magician. But you didn't, now did you? Now you pay! Snake Syndrome be unleashed!" she chanted as two snakes appeared and bit Yugi and Fire Sorcerer. Luckily for Yugi, they were only small stings. He wasn't even bleeding. (Y's LP: 3300), (F's LP: 5800)  
  
"And just wait until next turn when it's twice as painful! To end my turn, I'll set this one card in face down defense position and end my turn." She declared as the hologram materialized on the field.  
  
"I draw. Now, I move Black Magician Girl to the field (2300/1700)!" he exclaimed.  
  
(Is he?) Fire Sorcerer instantly thought.  
  
"Now witness the magic of Fusion! Fuse Black Magician Girl and the Dark Elf together!" he commanded as the two monsters intertwined releasing a black and white blast. In the end, a beautiful sorceress wearing a purple and black outfit stood in the place of the two monsters with lovely jewels covering her body. "I have created the Black Magic Mage! (2700/2200+900) Next, I activate one of her effects! Black Magician and Black Magician Girl return to the field!" he commanded as his favorite two magicians revived themselves from the graveyard.  
  
"Your team of magicians won't beat me! I reveal my magic card, Dark Wall of Air! Your monsters can't touch me this turn! And next turn I will summon a foe to you Yugi Moto. One of the greatest duel monsters in existence!" she exclaimed, holding up a Meteor B. Dragon (3500/2000)  
  
"You may think you have me cornered but look again! Black Magic Mage has yet another special ability you've overlooked! For the bargain price of 700 life points (Y's LP: 2600) she can destroy all of your face up magic cards! So thank you for setting your own defeat up!" he announced as the mage's staff became charged with golden lightning. With a quick sweep of her staff, both of the magic cards exploded on contact with the staff.  
  
"No! You've destroyed all of my precious magic cards! Curse you Yugi Moto; I was so close of being the one to defeat you! However, my life points are still intact! You've just destroyed 2 magic cards, and I've got those same 2 cards in my hand." She chuckled as she revealed the exact same magic cards.  
  
"Not only that, but you lose 500 life points for each magic card I destroyed." He cheerfully added on. (F's LP: 4800). As well as that, my mage gains 100 points for each magic card in my graveyard, and I count 9 (not accurate). So, with a pumped up power of 3600, prepare for the final assault! Black Magic Mage, Black Magician, Black Magician Girl! Trio Attack!" instructed Yugi as the three magicians crossed staffs, sending a black, pulsing wave of magical energy at Fire Sorcerer. It easily flew through her face down Magician of Faith and detonated on contact with her. When the thick layer of smoke vanished, she was vanished. She had been blow away by the force of the assault. All three of Yugi's monsters disappeared, Black Magician Girl giving him a wink before vanishing. As soon as they were gone, the platform lowered, and Yugi went to the front and saw an astonishing sight. It was a humongous iron, midnight black gate.  
  
"So this is the Black Gate." He thought. "Wonder what we'll find out here. I hope my friends are here." He thought, just as the plane touched down on the ground.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CARDS PLAYED ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Black Magician Girl: ******/2000/1700/Spellcaster Type/Desc: Increase the ATK of this monster by 300 points for each "Dark Magician" or "Magician of Black Chaos" in either player's Graveyard/Deck Master Ability: SOUL CIRCLE: Look at a number of cards from the top of your deck equal to the number of Monster cards in your Cemetery. Put 1 into your hand, and the reset back in the same order. This effect can only be used once per game.  
  
Fire Sorcerer: ****/1000/1500/Spellcaster Type/Desc: FLIP: Randomly select 2 cards from your hand and remove them from play to inflict 800 points of Direct Damage to your opponent's Life Points/Deck Master Ability: FLAMING DESTRUCTION: Whenever your opponent receives life point damage (excluding battle damage) inflict 500 more points of damage. You may also summon one monster with the phrase "direct damage" in its description with one less tribute.  
  
Magnet Warrior Beta: ****/1700/1600/Rock Type  
  
Spirit Destroyer: ****/1800/700/Fiend Type/Desc: When your opponent destroys this monster, in their next turn, cut all face up monsters on their side of the field's attack strength to 0 as soon as they begin the battle phase.  
  
Amazoness Fighter: ****/1500/1300/Warrior Type/Desc: All Battle Damage to this card's controller that he/she takes from a battle involving this monster becomes 0.  
  
Sobek's Blessings: QUICK PLAY MAGIC/Desc: Add the amount of battle damage your opponent just received to their life points, to your life points.  
  
Final Flame: MAGIC/Desc: Inflicts 600 points of Direct Damage to your opponent's Life Points.  
  
Brain Control: MAGIC/Desc: Select and control 1 opposing face up monster on the field until the end of your turn.  
  
Black Magician: ********/2500/2100/Spellcaster Type  
  
Last Ditch Effort: QUICK PLAY MAGIC/Desc: Summon one "Sheep Token" to the field in face up attack or defense position.  
  
Minor Goblin Official: TRAP/Desc: You can activate this card when your opponent's Life Points are 3000 or less. Inflict 500 points of Direct Damage to your opponent's Life Points during each of his/her Standby Phases.  
  
Catapult Turtle: *****/1000/2000/Aqua Type/Desc: Offer 1 monster on your side of the Field as a Tribute in order to inflict Direct Damage equal to half of the Tribute monster's ATK to your opponent's Life Points. Monsters used for a Tribute Summon or that are offered as Tributes due to other cards' effects are excluded.  
  
Sparks: MAGIC/Desc: Inflicts 200 points of direct damage to your opponent's life points.  
  
Change of Heart: MAGIC/Desc: Select and control 1 opposing monster (regardless of position) on the field until the end of your turn.  
  
Interception Attack: TRAP/Desc: This card can only be activated when you have no monsters on the field, during your opponent's battle phase. Special summon one monster from your hand in face up defense position. The monster is destroyed immediately. (Battle damage is not calculated.)  
  
Big Shield Gardna: ****/100/2600/Warrior Type  
  
Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress: ****/1400/1200/Dragon Type  
  
Spear Dragon: ****/1900/0/Dragon Type/Desc: If this card attacks with an ATK that is higher than the DEF of your opponent's Defense Position monster, inflict the difference as Battle Damage to your opponent's Life Points. When this card attacks, it is changed to Defense Position at the end of the Damage Step.  
  
Black Restoration Energy Wall: TRAP/Desc: This card may only be activated during your opponent's battle phase. Negate the attack called and increase your life points by the combined attack points of all face up monsters on the field.  
  
Deepest Impact: MAGIC/Desc: Destroy all Monsters on the Field, and reduce each player's Life Points by half.  
  
Cannon Soldier: ****/1400/1300/Machine Type/Desc: Offer 1 monster on your side of the Field as a Tribute to inflict 500 points of Direct Damage to your opponent's Life Points. Monsters used for a Tribute Summon or that are offered as Tributes due to other card's effects are excluded.  
  
Magnet Warrior Gamma: ****/1500/1800/Rock Type  
  
Rain of Mercy: MAGIC/Desc: Increase both player's life points by 1000  
  
Magical Reproduction Factory: MAGIC/Desc: Create 2 clones of one magic card on the field or in the graveyard.  
  
Spirit Cross: MAGIC/Desc: Discard your entire hand and the top 10 cards off your deck. You and your opponent switch life points immediately.  
  
Super Electric Turtle: ****/0/1800/Machine Type/Desc: You can choose to end the Battle Phase of a turn in which this card goes to the Cemetery. You choose the timing in which to use this effect.  
  
Clean Slate: MAGIC/Desc: This card may only be activated when you have no cards in your hand. Draw 6 cards from your deck.  
  
Dark Snake Syndrome: CONTINIOUS MAGIC/Desc: Inflict Direct Damage to you and your opponent's Life Points during each of your Standby Phases. The first damage begins at 200 points and is doubled following each of your Standby Phases.  
  
Dark Elf: ****/2000/800/Spellcaster Type/Desc: You must pay 1000 life points for this card to attack.  
  
Fusion: MAGIC/Desc: Fuse 2 monsters on the field or in your hand to create a fusion monster.  
  
Black Magic Mage: *********/2700/2200/Spellcaster Type/Desc: "Black Magician Girl" + "Dark Elf". These 2 monsters may only summon this monster. When this card is successfully fusion summoned you may special summon 2 of the following monsters from your graveyard: "Black Magician", "Black Magician Girl", or "Magician of Black Chaos". This monster gains 100 attack and defense points for each magic card in your graveyard. You may pay 700 life points to destroy all of your opponent's face up magic cards on the field, and deal your opponent 500 points of direct damage for each magic card destroyed.  
  
Dark Wall of Air: MAGIC/Desc: For this turn, monsters cannot attack a player. 


	17. The Black Gate Test, Part I: Fire and Ic...

Note: Blake and Rocko are officially off the fic.  
  
Disclaimer: See Chapter 16 for details  
  
Chapter 17: The Black Gate Test, Part I: Fire and Ice  
  
"Hey look!" Yugi told his other self as he saw Tea, Mai, Joey, Kaiba and Kevin all standing around, looking at the iron black gate that safely protected the only known exit.  
  
Kaiba took notice of Yugi's arrival and simply said. "And he shows up." Everyone turned around and smiled and waved at Yugi as he walked off the plane. As soon as everyone was grouped back together, the gate began to open and out walked 2 men, one dressed fully in red, and the other, dressed in nothing except blue. In between them was a charming man with reflective blue hair, and dressed in a fancy tuxedo with a white rose on the front pocket.  
  
"So you've all managed to make it to the Black Gate." He unexcitedly announced. "Well then, can you earn your freedom?" he chuckled as a new, advanced type of duel disk appeared on his arm.  
  
"What is that thing?" Joey asked.  
  
"Well it's an advanced version of a duel disk." The man simply replied.  
  
"You all are just the same! And being the most superior duelist here, I challenge you to a duel!" Kaiba declared as his Platinum Disk loaded.  
  
"Not just yet Kaiba! First, you must earn the privilege to challenge me. And no, you will not duel Yugi Moto." He chuckled, especially on the ending as Kaiba and Yugi locked eyes.  
  
~~~~~~ FLASHBACK~~~~~  
  
Pegasus: First, you must earn the privilege to challenge me! And you can only do that by defeating Yugi in a duel!  
  
Kaiba and Yugi to face off. Saggi infects Yugi's deck. Kaiba summons Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon. Yugi pulls out Mammoth Graveyard/Living Arrow/Polymerization combination attack. Yugi summons Celtic Guardian. Kaiba wipes out Celtic Guardian with Blue Eyes White Dragon. Kaiba catches star chips and walks into the castle. Pegasus and Kaiba face off.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~ END FLASHBACK~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"A great duelist is prepared for anything? Right, Seto?" he questioned. Kaiba scoffed. "Of course! Name your terms!" he retorted.  
  
"You will duel these two! But don't worry, you get a partner, him!" he yelled, pointing directly at Joey.  
  
"WHEELER?!" Kaiba instantly screamed.  
  
"That or I can always shut this gate..." he began.  
  
"Alright, fine! Wheeler and I versus your two men." Kaiba spat.  
  
"First, my name is Damien and I will permanently get rid of the lot of you! Now then, luckily for you 4..." he began, pointing at Yugi, Kevin, Mai, and Tea, "you get to watch your friend's destruction! However, in the small existing chance they actually win, I will challenge all 6 of you! Don't think 6 on 1 will be unfair at all. My deck is superior to any chance you all would have of winning, but first thing's first." He stated, snapping his fingers. Instantly, four platforms shot up from out of the earth, carrying the four duelists to the top of them, which was about 13 feet high.  
  
"Now let the duel commence!" Damien stated walking back into the tower overlooking the gate. (I must prepare my deck) he thought. (Something to counter Black Magician, Blue Eyes, Crush Card, Harpie Lady, Buster Blader, Black Magician Girl and Guilford the Lightning. This will be a test indeed.)  
  
The first player (the one in red) drew his opening hand. "Now I summon Fire Cannon (1650/1400) in attack mode!" he declared as a large blazing red cannon appeared on the field. "Now I'll set this card face down to end my turn." Kaiba rudely drew.  
  
"Go! Vorse Raider (1900/1200) in attack mode! I'll set two cards down to finish out my turn." He announced.  
  
The second figure drew. "I summon Ice Statue (1000/1800) in defense mode and set 3 cards face down to finish my move." He snickered.  
  
Joey drew. "Swordsman of Landstar (500/1200) in attack mode and set two cards face down and end my move," announced Joey.  
  
The first figure drew. "Now I summon Blackland Fire Dragon (1500/800) to the field and next activate Fusion! I'll fuse my monsters into the Inferno Dragon Cannon (2200/2000)! (Let's see. One of them has a weak monster on the field, and 2 set cards, while one has a strong monster and 2 set cards. I'm no fool) he thought.  
  
"Inferno Dragon Cannon, attack Vorse Raider!" he commanded as the cannon launched a molten fireball at the monster, blowing it up on contact. (K's LP: 3700)  
  
"My turn." Kaiba declared while he drew. "First, I'll activate Silent Dead to revive Vorse Raider (1900/1200) in defense mode. Then, I activate the magic card, Cost Down, to lower each monster in my hand by 2 levels! Finally, I sacrifice Vorse Raider to summon Blue Eyes White Dragon (3000/2500) to the field!" he exclaimed as his dragon roared its signature war.  
  
"Blue Eyes White Dragon, attack!" commanded Kaiba as the dragon unleashed its signature stream of white lightning at flaming cannon, causing complete destruction. (1's LP: 3200) "Now I control the field!" Kaiba yelled.  
  
"Correction. We." Joey corrected.  
  
"Whatever. Get on with the duel." He demanded as #2 drew.  
  
"You will soon regret that! For now I summon Ice Knight (1400/1800) in defense mode as well!" he announced as a second ice figure with even an ice sword took its ice shield in front of it.  
  
Joey drew. "I summon Baby Dragon (1200/700) in defense mode and end my turn." He simply declared.  
  
(Wheeler don't be a fool...) thought Kaiba.  
  
(They will bring themselves down!) thought both opponents.  
  
"My move then! First, I play Return of the Doomed to revive Inferno Dragon Cannon (2200/2000)! Secondly, I'll activate Flame Strike! This card boosts my monster's attack power equal to the attack of the most powerful monster on the field!" he explained as the dragon cannon grew to the size of the dragon (3000/2000). Now, Inferno Dragon Cannon, attack Swordsman of Landstar!" commanded #1 while the dragon launched the fireball aimed directly at the swordsman.  
  
"Activate trap card, Skull Dice! I knew you'd trigger it! And also, I activate my magic card, Rush Recklessly!" he burst while the swordsman glowed and it's attack points were raised (1200/1200)  
  
"Now Skull Dice! Weaken his Inferno Dragon Cannon!" commanded Joey while the demon threw a dice on the ground, it rolled for a while, and came to a stop, landing on a 4. "That cuts your monster's attack power to 750, plenty enough for my swordsman to wipe out! Swordsman of Landstar, counterattack!" Joey demanded while the monster quickly wiped out its attacker. (1's LP: 2750)  
  
(Something's not right about this duel) contemplated Kaiba. (While one of them tends to play offensive, one of them is playing defensive. I need to wipe out their remaining defenses, but I can't risk the chance of having my Blue Eyes destroy one of them.) he thought. "Blue Eyes White Dragon, attack #1's life points directly!" commanded Kaiba as the dragon launched the stream of white lightning.  
  
Somebody then spoke out, but it was #2. "Reverse set trap card, Ice Mask! This trap weakens your dragon's attack power by the number of attack points one of my monsters has! So I'll use Ice Knight to cut your dragon's power to 1600!" he explained as the dragon was encased in ice for one second, but then continued its assault, at almost half its power. (1's LP: 1350)  
  
#2 drew. "Next, I sacrifice both of my monsters to summon Ice Phantom! (2550/2800) Now you're out of options Wheeler! Ice Phantom, destroy Swordsman of Landstar now!" he commanded as the monster shot a stream of ice at the swordsman who became encased in it. The phantom then ran up and punched directly through the ice, shattering the swordsman. (J's LP: 2650)  
  
"Too bad! Activate trap card, Michizure so you're monster's destroyed as well!" Joey exclaimed, but suddenly the trap was also encased in ice and instantly shattered.  
  
"WHAT?!" Joey immediately reacted.  
  
"Easy. At a simple cost of 2 cards from my hand, my Ice Phantom can destroy any trap card that affects it" responded #2.  
  
Joey drew. "I summon Panther Warrior (2000/1600) to the field in defense mode and set another card face down to end my turn." He announced.  
  
"My turn!" #1 proudly declared. "I call to the field Hayabusa Knight (1000/700) in attack mode! Next, I activate the magic card, Secret Pass to the Treasures! This magic card allows me to attack your life points directly with my Hayabusa Knight! So Hayabusa Knight, attack Joey's life points directly!" commanded #1 while the knight jumped high in the air, and vertically slashed Joey, before returning to its post. (J's LP: 1650)  
  
"However, you may recall Hayabusa Knight is able to attack twice in its battle phase! Plus, thanks to my Secret Pass card, I can attack Joey's life points again!" he instructed while the knight slashed Joey for the second time. (J's LP: 650)  
  
"My move!" Kaiba declared. "First I'll activate Pot of Greed to draw 2 cards, and then summon Lord of Dragons (1200/1100) to the field in defense mode. Now Blue Eyes White Dragon! Attack Ice Phantom with your White Lightning attack!" commanded Kaiba while the dragon unleashed its signature blast of lightning, completely impaling the ice warrior.  
  
"Reverse my second card, Enchanted Javelin! This trap adds the attack power of your Blue Eyes White Dragon to my life points!" exclaimed #2.  
  
"And your trap has set off my counter! Reveal Bad Reaction to Simochi!" burst Joey as the trap card glowed. "Now it turns your healing into damage!" exclaimed Joey as #2 was shocked to watch his life points go down. (#2's LP: 550)  
  
"Very well. I'll pass this turn." #2 declared while Joey drew.  
  
"Now I summon Battle Warrior (700/1000) in defensive mode!" he declared as the warrior clenched his fists together.  
  
#1 drew. "Are you ready?" he asked #2.  
  
"Been waiting" he simply replied.  
  
"Perfect because now you two witness the full power of our decks. Our decks are not simply fire and ice types, they contain multiple deck themes! Prepare to witness one, as first I activate Card Destruction!" requiring all four of us to draw new hands!" he exclaimed while Yugi and the others looked on.  
  
"I don't like this at all." Otogi (Duke) said. "Multiple deck themes...there's no way they can lose. They can change the tide of the battle whenever they feel like it."  
  
While #1 drew a hand of nothing but monster cards, #2 drew a hand of nothing but magic cards. Kaiba and Joey drew a combination of all 3 types.  
  
"Now get ready to face us with a whole new strategy under our belts!" laughed both #1 and 2.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CARDS PLAYED ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Fire Cannon: ****/ 1650/1400/ Pyro Type  
  
Vorse Raider: ****/1900/1200/Warrior Type  
  
Ice Statue: ****/1000/1800/ Ice Type /Desc: When this monster is attacked in face down defense position you negate the attack and immediately summon this monster in face up attack position.  
  
Swordsman of Landstar: ***/500/1200/Warrior Type  
  
Blackland Fire Dragon: ****/1500/800/Dragon Type  
  
Fusion: MAGIC/Desc: Fuse 2 monsters on the field or from your hand to create a fusion monster.  
  
Inferno Dragon Cannon: *******/2200/2000/Fire Type/Desc: "Fire Cannon" + "Blackland Fire Dragon"  
  
Silent Dead: MAGIC/Desc: Special summon one monster from your graveyard to play in defense mode. It may not attack as long as this card is in play.  
  
Cost Down: MAGIC/Desc: Discard one card in your hand. The level of each monster card in your hand is downgraded by 2 levels until the end phase in which this card is activated.  
  
Blue Eyes White Dragon: *********/3000/2500/Dragon Type  
  
Ice Knight: ****/1400/1800/ Ice Type /Desc: If this card is face up on the field along with a "Fire Knight", you may special summon one "Aqua Knight" from your deck or graveyard to the field.  
  
Baby Dragon: ***/1200/700/Dragon Type  
  
Return of the Doomed: MAGIC/Desc: Revive one monster from your graveyard destroyed in your previous turn to the field in face up attack position.  
  
Flame Strike: EQUIP MAGIC/Desc: A fire type monster equipped with this card increases its attack to the same attack strength as the monster with the highest attack strength on the field. If the equipped monster has the highest attack, increase the monster's attack power by 600 points.  
  
Skull Dice: TRAP/Desc: You may only activate this card when your opponent attacks. Roll a six-sided die. Divide the attacking monster's attack points by the number rolled.  
  
Rush Recklessly: QUICK PLAY MAGIC/Desc: Increase 1 monster's ATK by 700 points during the turn this card is activated.  
  
Ice Mask: TRAP/Desc: When this card is activated, equip it one monster on the field. The equip monster's attack power is subtracted from the number of attack points of the strongest monster on your field.  
  
Ice Phantom: ********/2550/2800/ Ice Type /Desc: Whenever this card is designated as a specific target for a trap card, you may discard 2 cards to negate and destroy the trap. Increase this monster's attack power by 200 for each monster with "Ice" in its name on your side of the field (excluding this card).  
  
Michizure: You can activate this card when your monster is sent from the Field to the Graveyard. Destroy 1 monster on the Field.  
  
Panther Warrior: ****/2000/1600/ Beast-Warrior Type/ Desc: Sacrifice one monster on your side of the field for this monster to attack. Cards tributed by other monster's effects are excluded.  
  
Hayabusa Knight: ***/1000/700/ Warrior / Desc: This monster can attack twice during your battle phase.  
  
Secret Pass to the Treasures: MAGIC/Desc: Select 1 face-up monster with an ATK equal to 1000 points or less on your side of the field. During the turn this card is activated, the selected monster can attack your opponent's Life Points directly.  
  
Pot of Greed: MAGIC/Desc: Draw 2 cards from your deck.  
  
Lord of Dragons: ****/1200/1100/ Spellcaster /Desc: All Dragon-Type monsters cannot be targeted by Magic Cards, Trap Cards, or other effects that specifically designate a target while this card is face-up on the field.  
  
Enchanted Javelin: TRAP/Desc: When your opponents monster attacks, increase your life points by the attacking monster's ATK points.  
  
Bad Reaction to Simochi: CONTINIOUS TRAP/Desc: As long as this card remains face-up on the field, the effect of increasing your opponent's Life Points is negated and changed to inflict the same amount of points in Direct Damage to your opponent's Life Points.  
  
Battle Warrior: ***/1000/700/ Warrior Type  
  
Card Destruction: MAGIC/Desc: All players must discard their entire hands and draw the same number of cards that they discarded from their respective Decks. 


	18. The Black Gate Test, Part II: Magical Ma...

Disclaimer: See Chapter 17 for details  
  
Chapter 18: The Black Gate Test, Part II: Magical Mayhem  
  
"First I summon Skilled White Magician (1700/1900) in attack mode! Next, I'll use this Premature Burial card! For the simple price of 800 life points, I can summon Skilled Black Magician back from the graveyard! (#1's LP: 550) he exclaimed as a mage covered in black appeared next to his white mage.  
  
"Finally, I'll activate this all powerful magic card! Unleash, Energy Recharge!" he declared as all four duelists glowed in bright blue energy. "This magic card instantly resets all of life points back to 4000, and you were so close to defeating us." He sarcastically sympathized. (All 4 people's LP: 4000)  
  
"Oh yes, I should mention that since I activated two magic cards when my Skilled White Magician was on the field and one magic card since my Skilled Black Magician has been up, they each gain one magic counter for the magic cards activated" explained #1 while three flames each floated to their respective positions.  
  
"To end my move, I'll set this one card face down" he said.  
  
Kaiba drew. "So you have 2 magicians on the field! That's missing a huge amount of attack points from my dragon! Now Blue Eyes, show him your power! Destroy Skilled White Magician!" commanded Kaiba as the dragon unleashed a streak of lightning, aiming directly at the unbothered mage.  
  
"Reverse magic card! Body Change! This card instantly swaps our monster's attack points!" he exclaimed as the lightning disappeared and the monsters glowed red, signaling the attack point change. The dragon then restarted its attack, and when it reached the mage, he simply deflected it with his staff, and then aimed a white line of magic that obliterated the dragon on the spot. (K's LP: 2700)  
  
"So much for your dragon." He added while #2 drew.  
  
"Let's see. I activate the magic card Yield Tribute to summon Helpoemer (2000/1400)!" he explained as a coffin appeared and opened to reveal a blue demon. Plus, I activated a magic card, so Skilled Black Magician gains a third magic counter!" he snickered, while a third black flame appeared above the mage's head.  
  
"Now I set this card face down and end my move."  
  
Joey drew. (Finally my move again) he thought. "First I'm summoning Wyvern Warrior (1500/1200) in defense mode, and I'll activate Dice of Defense! This magic card rolls a die, and the number rolled is first multiplied by 300, and then added to my Wyvern Warrior's defense power! So go, roll die!" Joey commanded as a white dice appeared on the ground, rolling around before stopping on a 5. "Awesome! This raises Wyvern Warrior's defense power by 1500 points!" he exclaimed as his monster's defense power skyrocketed to 2700.  
  
(Not good enough Wheeler. Now we'll be facing a Buster Blader, a Black Magician, and another monster he'll choose to summon. Wheeler wasn't prepared enough! And worse, what if he has a fusion card in his hand...) thought Kaiba while watching #1 draw.  
  
"Next to the field is Breaker, the Magical Warrior! (1600/1000+300)" he declared as the red knight with a red flame appeared directly on the field.  
  
(Seven down) thought #1. "Finally, I'll place this one card face down to end my turn. Try to attack me!" he said while Kaiba drew.  
  
(He may not have summoned Buster Blader or Black Magician yet, but that doesn't mean he won't summon them. I've got to destroy one of his mages this turn.)  
  
"My move will begin by activating the magic card, White Dragon Descent!" he announced. "Now I can sacrifice X-Head Cannon from my hand to summon the all powerful Knight of White Dragon (1900/1200)!" he yelled as the dragon rider flew down from the sky landing on the field.  
  
"Then I activate Card of Sanctity! This causes all four players to draw until we have 6 cards." He said while drawing a fresh hand of 6 cards. Joey drew 3. #1 drew 4 and #2 drew 2.  
  
(Just what I needed.) Kaiba smirked. "Now I can activate Cost Down to lower all monsters' levels in my hand by 2! Secondly, I sacrifice Knight of White Dragon to summon my great beast, Blue Eyes White Dragon (3000/2500)!" he declared as his knight dissolved into a flash of light. The light particles came together to form Kaiba's massive dragon, who roared a fierce roar onto the dueling field.  
  
"Then, I'll activate Power Blitz! This allows my dragon to attack this turn! Go Blue Eyes, attack Helpoemer!" he commanded as the dragon unleashed its white lightning attack.  
  
"Kaiba no!" Joey warned, knowing of Helpoemer's ability, but it was too late. The attack flew directly threw the demon, destroying it. However, the demon returned to the field and flew directly into Kaiba's graveyard slot.  
  
"The hell?!" Kaiba questioned.  
  
"When you destroyed my Helpoemer, you activated its special ability! It goes directly into your graveyard, and every turn it will snatch one card from you." He snickered, while a ghastly blue hand snatched a card from Kaiba's hand.  
  
"Oh and by the way, neither of us can summon the monster my Helpoemer has just sent to the graveyard." He explained as the selected card glowed in a pale blue essence.  
  
"Very well. I'll set a card face down and end my turn." He said. (I've got a virus on me. Once per turn I randomly lose a card, and if the monster takes my third Blue Eyes White Dragon, I'm nearly finished. The dragon can't be special summoned from the graveyard, so I'll be finished. Wheeler hadn't mess up like I did.) he thought while #2 drew.  
  
"Perfect! I activate Monster Reborn! First, I'll revive Kaiba's first Blue Eyes White Dragon (3000/2500)!" he said as the mighty dragon appeared on the field. "Now I can sacrifice Blue Eyes White Dragon to summon Great Maju Garzett (? /0). Instantly the dragon was banished back to the graveyard by a flash of red light. The dragon exploded as a vile fiend appeared on the field from within the dragon's body.  
  
"What?! Why sacrifice a monster with 3000 attack points to summon a monster that doesn't even have any attack points!?" Joey burst while #2 snickered.  
  
"Watch my monster gain attack points! My almighty garzett's attack power is two times the attack strength of the monster I sacrificed to summon it. If I'm correct, that gives my monster a raging power of 6000!" he chuckled as the monster's attack power instantly rose to 6000. "Now eliminate Kaiba, Great Maju Garzett! Attack his Blue Eyes White Dragon, destroy him!" he commanded as the fiend's hands glowed deep red.  
  
The monster then unleashed two beams from his hands, going full-speed at the dragon.  
  
"Goodbye Seto!" he laughed.  
  
"Celebrating so soon? Your attack has activated my trap card, Shadow Spell!" he yelled as several chains sprung from the card, encasing the fiend and ending its attack.  
  
"Not only does my trap card stop your attack, but it also weakens your monster's attack power by 700!" he explained. (5300/0)  
  
"Kaiba started our winning spree, now I gotta keep it going." He thought while he drew. (Oh yeah!) "Go, Shield and Sword! Swap all attack points with defense points!" demanded Joey as all the stat's flipped. (Great Maju Garzett: 0/5300, Blue Eyes White Dragon: 2500/3000, Wyvern Warrior (2700/1500), Skilled White Magician (1900/1700), Skilled Black Magician: (1700/1900), Breaker the Magical Warrior: (1000/1900)  
  
"Now I switch Wyvern Warrior into attack mode! Wyvern Warrior, destroy Great Maju Garzett!" he commanded as the alligator charged at the fiend, first easily destroying Kaiba's Shadow Spell trap, then vertically sliced at the fiend, eliminating him. (#2's LP: 1300)  
  
"Ha!" #2 laughed. "You have been deceived! For while you both were attacking me, my partner over here is about to destroy you!" he snickered with a sense of sure victory. Nothing could go wrong now.  
  
"Now it's my move!" he said drawing. (Time to finish you off!) thought #1. "First, I'll activate my trap card, Pitch Black Power Stone. It gives me three spell counters automatically!" he explained as the completely black flames hovered over the magical stone.  
  
"Now it's time to show you my master plan! For with this magic card, I seal your fate! I unleash the devastating power of the Mega Ton Magical Cannon!" he burst as sacred cannon instantly rocketed onto the field.  
  
"For the price of ten magic counters..." he began as the 3 completely black flames, 3 black flames, and 3 white flames were absorbed into the cannon. However, when Breaker's flame flew into the cannon, it lit up, and the lightning rope lit up completely white.  
  
"I can destroy every card on your side of the field!" he chuckled while the cannon launched an enormous amount of energy, completely obliterating Joey and Kaiba's side of the field.  
  
"Skilled Black Magician and Skilled White Magician attack Kaiba's life points directly! Destroy him from the duel!" he commanded as the mage's crossed staffs and aimed a combination blast at Kaiba, ready to wipe him out.  
  
Suddenly, the blasts hit a barrier and were instantly deflected.  
  
"What happened?!" #1 demanded to know.  
  
"Easy. His Helpoemer took the card I needed it to! It's a magic card called Energy Boundary! Not only does it negate your attack, but I can summon a monster from my graveyard! And I choose to revive my second Blue Eyes White Dragon (3000/2500)!" he laughed as a second of his most sacred cards came to the field.  
  
"My dragon's about to end this match!" he snickered while #1 ended his turn.  
  
"Now I draw." Kaiba said, and happily enjoyed the card he drew. "Now I activate Heart of the Cards! This magic card allows me to sacrifice 2400 of my dragon's attack power (600/2500) to draw 6 new cards!" he said, and a look of power came on his face.  
  
"We win this duel!" he declared. "First of all, I activate Polymerization to fuse the two Blue Eyes White Dragons on the field with the one in my hand, to create my supreme beast! The Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon (4500/3800!" he yelled as his massive 3-headed dragon reigned down to the field.  
  
"Also, Quick Attack will be activated! Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon, destroy Skilled White Magician!" commanded Kaiba as the three lightnings merged to form an attack of unstoppable power, completely overtaking and destroying the mage. (#1's LP: 0)  
  
"No! How could this happen!" he thought as the pillar underneath him exploded, and he disappeared before he could hit the ground. Damien growled from his tower window view.  
  
"Alright! One down!" Yugi declared.  
  
#2 furiously drew. "You will pay for that!" he declared and stared at his drawn card. It was a level 8 monster and unluckily for him, his hand had one level 4 monster, but he knew he couldn't win. He had no magic or traps in his hand, except for a pathetic Magic Absorption.  
  
"I'll set this one monster in defense mode and end my turn." He declared while Joey drew.  
  
"I'll sacrifice Wyvern Warrior to summon Android Psycho Shocker (2400/1500)!" he declared as his tall machine crossed his arms when appearing on the field.  
  
"Android Psycho Shocker, attack his face down monster now!" he commanded as the android gathered a ball of black energy, which he hurled and easily destroyed the monster.  
  
"Now Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon finish him off with Neutron Blast!" he commanded as the triple attack blew up #2's pillar as well. (#2's LP: 0)  
  
Kaiba and Joey's platforms lowered to the ground and all eyes were focused on the tower. There were a few "are you ok?" and "good jobs" but nothing major was spoken. Suddenly, the tower door opened and out stepped Damien, Duel Disk loaded and ready to fight.  
  
"Bravo." He said, politely applauding. "So you defeated them."  
  
"With ease" spat Kaiba.  
  
"Well..." he responded, "I hope I'm a bigger challenge for you Kaiba!" he yelled furiously.  
  
"I hope so too. This may be a 6 on 1 duel, but you've only got one major problem. Me." He chuckled.  
  
"Then I have no major problems" retorted Damien. Kaiba hissed and growled at him. "However, as much as you hate it, this is not about you! It's about all 6 of you and getting out of this virtual world. So, without any more delays." He began, reflecting the ending sentence at Kaiba, "I believe I'm ready to start this duel!" he said, slightly bowing and letting his duel disk operate.  
  
"The six of you begin with 3000 life points each, while I begin with 8000!" he explained as all 7 duelists' life points raised.  
  
"Now choose a deck master!" he demanded as each of the six flipped through their cards.  
  
(This will be one of my toughest duels yet) thought Yugi. (I'll stick with a monster I know will guide me.) "My deck master is Black Magician (2500/2100)!" he spoke out, as his mage appeared on the field, as Yugi was first to choose.  
  
(Hey! This will be perfect for this duel) thought Tea. "I choose Shining Friendship (1300/1100)" she declared while her fairy appeared beside her.  
  
(This one will be well suited for my deck) Mai thought. "Cyber Harpie (1800/1300) for me!" she declared as the female winged beast in her golden cyber armor burst from the card.  
  
(Of course! This card would never let me down.) Kevin thought holding his card in the air. "Red Eyes Black Dragon (2400/2000) will be mine!" he announced as the dragon flew out from the card, taking its place next to its master.  
  
(Ah. This will complete my Blue Eyes combos) thought Kaiba. "Knight of White Dragon (1900/1200) will serve as my deck master!" he shouted while his trusted knight hovered in the air next to Kaiba. All eyes turned towards Joey.  
  
(Ha ha! There it is! It's always come through for me before) he thought, "Rocket Warrior!" he stated as his faithful yellow rocket came bursting from the card, giving a small display before reverting to its normal self.  
  
"Finally, my deck master will be Kisetai (300/800) he announced as the small insect materialized next to him. The order will go as follows: Yugi, Tea, Mai, Kevin, Kaiba, Joey, and then back to me. You may attack directly whenever you wish, and you can sacrifice your teammate's monsters. At this time, I believe introductions and explanations are over! So without further ado, let this 6 on 1 duel begin! Prepare for a fight for your life!" he cackled while Yugi glared at him and drew.  
  
(Help me heart of the cards, guide me through this duel!) Yugi thought.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CARDS PLAYED ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Skilled White Magician: ****/1700/1900/ Spellcaster / Desc: Each time you or your opponent activates 1 Magic Card, put 1 Magic Counter on this card (Maximum of 3). You can Special Summon 1 "Buster Blader" from your hand, Deck, or Graveyard in face-up Attack or Defense Position by offering this monster with 3 Magic Counters as a Sacrifice during your Main Phase.  
  
Premature Burial: MAGIC/Desc: Sacrifice 800 life points to special summon a monster from your graveyard in face up attack position.  
  
Skillful Black Magician: Level 4 / 1900/1700/ Magician / Desc: Each time you or your opponent activates 1 Magic Card, put 1 Magic Counter on this card (Maximum of 3). You can Special Summon 1 "Black Magician" from your hand, Deck, or Graveyard in face-up Attack or Defense Position by offering this monster with 3 Magic Counters as a Sacrifice during your Main Phase.  
  
Energy Recharge: QUICK PLAY MAGIC/Desc: Immediately reset all duelists' life points to their starting amount.  
  
Body Change: QUICK PLAY MAGIC/Desc: You can only activate this card when your opponent attacks. Immediately switch the attacking monster's attack points with the attack target's attack points until the end phase in which this card is activated.  
  
Yield Tribute: MAGIC/Desc: Choose to either normal summon or special summon a monster. If you special summon a monster, you must skip your battle phase.  
  
Helpoemer: *****/2000/1400/ Fiend /Desc: When this card has been sent to the graveyard as a result of battle, this card's effect is activated. As long as this card exists in the graveyard, your opponent randomly discards 1 card from his/her hand at the end of his/her battle phase. Neither player can special summon this card from the graveyard.  
  
Wyvern Warrior: ****/1500/1200/ Warrior  
  
Dice of Defense: EQUIP MAGIC/Desc: Equip this to one face up defense position warrior monster on the field. Roll a 6 sided die. Multiply the number rolled x300 and add it to the equipped monster's defense points.  
  
Breaker the Magical Warrior: ****/1600/1000/ Magician /Desc: When this card is successfully Normal Summoned, put 1 spell counter on it (max.1) Increase the ATK of this monster by 300 points for each Spell counter on this card. Also you can remove 1 Spell Counter from this card to destroy 1 Spell Card or Trap Card on the field.  
  
White Dragon Descent: RITUAL MAGIC/Desc: This card is used to Ritual Summon "Knight of White Dragon". Sacrifice monsters in your hand or field to Ritual Summon "Knight of White Dragon" to the equal level of 4.  
  
Knight of White Dragon: ****/1900/1200/ Ritual/ Warrior/Desc: Summoned by a [White Dragon Descent]. Sacrifice Monsters from your hand and/or the field that total level 4 or more. If this Monster attacks a Monster in face-down defense mode, destroy the Monster without doing damage. You can sacrifice this Monster to Special Summon 1 [Blue Eyes White Dragon] from your hand or deck. (That [Blue Eyes White Dragon] cannot attack the turn that it is summoned.)  
  
Blue Eyes White Dragon: ********/3000/2500/ Dragon  
  
Power Blitz: QUICK PLAY MAGIC/Desc: When this card is activated, select one face up monster on the field. The selected monster can attack twice if it has successfully completed one attack or attack once if the monster was restricted from attacking this turn.  
  
Monster Reborn: MAGIC/Desc: Select 1 Monster Card from either your opponent's or your own Graveyard and place it on the field under your control in Attack or Defense Position (face-up). This is considered a Special Summon.  
  
Great Maju Garzett: ******/? /0/ Fiend /Desc: The ATK of this monster becomes twice of the original ATK of the monster you tributed to Tribute Summon this monster.  
  
Shadow Spell: TRAP/Desc: Select one face up monster on your opponent's side of the field. Decrease the ATK of the selected monster by 700 points. The monster cannot attack or change its position. When the selected card is destroyed or removed from the field, this card is also destroyed.  
  
Shield and Sword: MAGIC/Desc: For 1 turn, each face-up monster's original ATK becomes their original DEF and vice-versa. Any additions and subtractions to ATK and or DEF due to card effects are applied to the new ATK and DEF. Monsters summoned after this card's activation are excluded.  
  
Pitch Black Power Stone: TRAP/Desc: After activation, put 3 Magic counters on this card. Once during each of your turns, you may move 1 Magic counter from this card to another of your [Cards that can have Magic counters placed on them]. If there are no Magic counters on this card, destroy this card.  
  
Mega Ton Magical Cannon: MAGIC/Desc: Remove 10 Spell Counters on your side of the field. Destroy all cards on your opponent's side of the field.  
  
*Energy Boundary: QUICK PLAY MAGIC/Desc: After activation, negate all direct attacks to your life points. Special summon the strongest monster in your graveyard to the field.  
  
Heart of the Cards: CONTINIOUS MAGIC/Desc: You may sacrifice monster's attack points, in segments of 400 points each, to draw a number of cards equal to the number of sets you sacrificed.  
  
Polymerization: MAGIC/Desc: Fuses 2 or more Fusion-Material Monsters to form a new Fusion Monster.  
  
Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon: ************/4500/3800/ Fusion/Dragon/Desc: "Blue Eyes White Dragon" + "Blue Eyes White Dragon" + "Blue Eyes White Dragon"  
  
Quick Attack: QUICK PLAY MAGIC/Desc: All fusion monsters can attack on the turn they are summoned.  
  
Android Psycho Shocker: *******/2400/1500/ Machine /Desc: As long as this card remains face up on the field, all trap cards cannot be activated. The effects of all face-up trap cards are also negated. 


	19. The Black Gate Test, Part III: Anzu Is A...

Note: I'll be switching between "Tea" and "Anzu" the whole chapter. They're the same person.  
  
Disclaimer: See Chapter 18 for details  
  
Chapter 19: The Black Gate Test, Part III: Anzu Is Attacked  
  
"Let's begin!" Yugi declared, drawing a sixth card. "I summon Gamma the Magnet Warrior (1500/1800) in defense mode, and set one card face down to end my turn. Tea drew.  
  
"Go Fairy's Gift (1400/1000) in defense mode!"  
  
"It's my move!" Mai declared, snatching her sixth card. "I'll set one card face down and summon Harpie Lady (1300/1400) in attack mode! That does it for me." She stated.  
  
Kevin drew. "Hmm. I'll place 3 cards down and then summon Beta the Magnet Warrior (1700/1600) in attack mode and then I'll end my turn."  
  
Kaiba snatched his sixth card. (If they think they're in this duel, they're wrong. This is a match between me and him.) Damien and Kaiba locked eyes briefly.  
  
"I summon Kaiser Seahorse (1750/1600) in attack mode and end my turn by placing this one card face down."  
  
Joey finally drew. "Gearfried the Iron Knight (1800/1600) in attack mode! Then, I'll set two cards face down to end my turn!" he announced while Damien drew.  
  
"Hmm. First, I'll take the time to activate this, Resurrection of Chakura!" he announced as a beautiful plant goddess burst from the card. "You see, by simply discarding this monster from my hand, I can summon a more powerful creature to the field!" An image of the card merged with the goddess. The goddess then transformed into a demon-like cyclops with a drill, six tentacles, and six axe-like structures, complete with a skull in the middle. (2450/2000)  
  
"But don't think your safe Anzu! For now I activate Fairy Meteor Crush allowing my Chakura to blow through some life points! Chakura attack Fairy's Gift now!" he commanded as Chakura drilled underground, appearing directly in front of Tea's frightened fairy. The four bottom axes then sprung up and wiped out the fairy. (A's LP: 1550)  
  
"Tea!" Yugi and Joey called out. Mai gasped while Kevin glared at Damien, and Kaiba didn't care.  
  
"Then I'll set these two cards face down to end my turn." Yugi drew. "I summon Magnet Warrior Beta (1700/1600) in defense mode! Then I'll set this one card face down and end my turn."  
  
Tea drew. "Go! Dancing Fairy (1700/1000) in attack mode! Then, I'll use Silver Bow and Arrow to raise his attack power to 2000! And that's not all; I'll power her further with my magic card, Cestus of Dagla, which raises her attack to a mighty 2500!" she cheered.  
  
"Good move Tea." Yugi complimented.  
  
"Now Dancing Fairy, attack Chakura now!" she commanded while the fairy shot a streaming silver arrow, hitting Chakura's heart and exploding within 1 second of the attack. (D's LP: 7950) Damien growled.  
  
"Plus, my Cestus of Dagla will give me all the life points you just lost!" (A's LP: 1600)  
  
"Now it's my move!" Mai said while she drew. "I summon the Unfriendly Amazon (2000/1000) in attack mode! Unfriendly Amazon and Harpie Lady, attack Damien's life points!" she commanded as the amazon charged, striking him with her sword and Harpie Lady flew in the air and struck while coming down. (D's LP: 4650)  
  
"Now my move!" Kevin declared while drawing. "I sacrifice Beta the Magnet Warrior to summon Summoned Skull! (2500/1200) Attack him directly!" he instructed while the fiend gathered lightning from the sky, and aimed it at Damien, electrocuting him quite badly. (D's LP: 2150)  
  
"My turn!" Kaiba sneered as he drew. "I'll set this card face down! Then, Kaiser Seahorse attack his life points directly!" he commanded while the seahorse launched a stream of immense water at Damien. (D's LP: 400)  
  
"Time to finish you off!" Joey announced while he drew. "Gearfried attack his life points!" commanded Joey as the knight charged at Damien, ready to finish him off. Everyone smiled and began cheering, at least, until Damien spoke.  
  
"You think I've been letting you attack me for no reason?! First, I'll activate my deck master special ability! By discarding 2 cards from my hand, I can increase my life points by half of all your monster's attack points!" he explained while seven blue energy orbs flew into his deck master. (D's LP: 7300)  
  
"All that work for nothing!" Anzu groaned.  
  
"Wait Anzu. Joey's Iron Knight still has to attack." Yugi pointed out as the knight restarted its attack.  
  
"Reverse one of my set cards, the trap known as Death Row!" Damien yelled before the attack completed. Suddenly, blue lightning from the sky struck and shattered Gearfried.  
  
"What?!" Joey remarked upon seeing his monster blown away.  
  
"My trap destroys your monster. However, your monster isn't the only monster effected by my trap, any monster that's attacked me since my last turn is destroyed too!" he gladly explained as all 6 of his opponents growled. Blue lightning reigned down destroy Kaiba's Kaiser Seahorse, Kevin's Summoned Skull, Mai's Harpie Lady and Unfriendly Amazon, and Tea's Dancing Fairy. Yugi's monsters were the only ones left untouched.  
  
"Well, I've put your team at a minor setback. And now that's it's my turn, I'll summon Archfiend Soldier (1900/1500) in attack mode! Archfiend Soldier, attack Anzu's life points directly!" he commanded as the soldier charged at Tea.  
  
"Reveal Scapegoat!" called Joey as a yellow goat intercepted the direct attack and Archfiend Soldier returned to its original place.  
  
"I'll set this card face down and end my turn" mumbled Damien.  
  
(Damien's obviously set on defeating Tea. We'll just have to destroy him before he can get to her.) thought Yugi while he drew. (Just the card I needed!) "I summon Alpha the Magnet Warrior (1400/1700) to the field in attack mode! Next, I'll sacrifice Gamma the Magnet Warrior, Alpha the Magnet Warrior, and Beta the Magnet Warrior to summon the all-powerful Magnet Valkyrion (3500/3850)!" Yugi declared while the third gray magnet warrior appeared. Then the gray warrior, the yellow warrior, and the pink warrior's body parts separated, and all three combined to form a powerful combination magna warrior with two pink wings and a sword.  
  
"Magnet Valkyrion attack Archfiend Soldier!" commanded Yugi as the monster flew at Archfiend Soldier and vertically sliced him in half. (D's LP: 5700)  
  
"Now I activate my set card! Reverse! This trap instantly makes it my turn again!" he cheered as he drew. "Now I'll set another card face down and activate another trap card, Archfiend's Roar! For the simple cost of 500 life points (D's LP: 5200) I can revive my Archfiend Soldier! Now, I sacrifice Archfiend Soldier in order to summon Skull Archfiend of Lightning (2500/1200)!" he announced as the soldier disappeared and a souped-up version of Summoned Skull, complete with golden lightning appeared on the field. It growled. (Yeah I know, but I had to tweak it a little)  
  
"Skull Archfiend of Lightning, destroy one of Joey's scapegoat!" he commanded as the monster blasted an immense wave of lightning, completely obliterating the pink goat.  
  
Anzu drew calmly. "I summon Kelbek (1500/1800) in defense mode! Afterwards, I'll place one card face down to end my move."  
  
Mai drew. (Let's see. I can summon this monster or play this magic card to summon this. I'll take option 2) she thought as she placed a magic card on the field.  
  
"I summon a second Harpie Lady (1300/1400) to the field! Then, I'll take the time to activate Elegant Egotist!" she announced as the Harpie Lady glowed orange. The monster then created one green and one blue clone of herself, who came together, back to back to back. "Meet my lovely ladies, the Harpie Lady Sisters (1950/2100) who I'll set in defense mode."  
  
Kevin drew. "Hmm. I'll summon my own Iron Knight Gearfried (1800/1600) in defense mode. I'll end my turn from here."  
  
Kaiba drew. (Finally) he thought. "I activate Revival Terms! I can discard one monster from my hand to special summon my Kaiser Seahorse back to the field!" he explained as the seahorse flew out from Kaiba's graveyard slot.  
  
"Now I sacrifice Kaiser Seahorse in order to summon Blue Eyes White Dragon (3000/2500)! Now Blue Eyes, attack his Skull Archfiend! Blow him away with your white lightning attack!" commanded Kaiba as the dragon opened its mouth and launched a sphere of lightning, dissipating the monster. (D's LP: 4700)  
  
Joey drew. (All right that's what I need!) he thought. "I summon Legion Knight (1600/1450)! Plus, by my knight's special ability, I can discard one card from my hand to be able to instantly sacrifice it!  
  
So, I sacrifice Legion Knight in order to summon The Legendary Fisherman (1850/1500) Legendary Fisherman, attack Damien's life points directly!" he commanded while the monster lept out and virtually shot his harpoon at Damien. (D's LP: 2850)  
  
Damien laughed and drew. "I activate the magic card, Advanced Placement, causing all 6 of you to draw one card, while I draw three." He explained while everyone drew his or her respective number of cards. "Then I'll activate Graceful Charity, allowing me to draw 3 more cards, then I must discard two." He explained.  
  
"Now I summon Vilepawn Archfiend (1200/200) in attack mode!"  
  
(Attack mode?! That thing's WAY too weak to attack anything on the field...what's he up to.) pondered Kevin.  
  
"Afterwards, I'll activate a personal favorite magic card, Premature Burial! I can give up 800 life points (D's LP: 2050) and summon back my Terrorking Archfiend! (2000/1500)" he announced as his tall mighty archfiend monster rose to the playing field.  
  
"By the effect of my Vilepawn Archfiend, you can't attack any other archfiend type monster! However, incase you're thinking of destroying my Vilepawn Archfiend, I'll add this little number! Go, Raregold Armor!" he explained as vibrant, golden armor flew onto the archfiend monster. All squinted their eyes so the light wouldn't blind them.  
  
When the light died down, Damien spoke. "Now you can't attack any monster except my Terrorking Archfiend!" he announced.  
  
"Then I'll set one card face down, and look at this! I still have 2 cards in my hand to discard to activate my deck master special ability! More blue orbs flew into Kisetai. (D's LP: 8850) "I'm untouchable!"  
  
Yugi fiercely drew. "(There's got to be some weakness with his monsters. I'll just attack and if I possibly uncover that face down card, at least the others can try to wipe him out.) "Magnet Valkyrion, attack Vilepawn Archfiend!" he commanded as the magnet monster flew at the small archfiend but was magnetically dragged to the Terrorking Archfiend, where it slashed its sword, but hit an invisible barrier. Magnet Valkyrion then returned to his post.  
  
"Were you listening to ANYTHING I said?!" Damien responded. Anzu drew.  
  
"First I'll sacrifice Kelbek to summon Dark Witch (1800/1700)!" she announced as a witch with two blue wings carrying a sharp spear formed on the playing field. "Then I'll remove from play Fairy's Gift and (hope you don't mind Kaiba) she thought in between, Kaiser Seahorse from play!" she announced, startling every duelist involved. Kaiba regained himself and hissed in Tea's direction.  
  
(Wow. She has guts.) thought Mai.  
  
"Now I summon Soul of Purity and Light! (2000/1800)" she announced as her new light monster formed from a blast of white light. "I'll end my turn."  
  
Mai drew. (Wow Anzu's really evolved at Duel Monsters since I dueled her in Duelist Kingdom) she thought while studying her cards.  
  
(SHE WASTED MY KAISER SEAHORSE FOR THAT?!) Kaiba furiously repeated to himself.  
  
(Ah! It's a good thing I put this in before we dueled!) she thought. "I set one card face down and switch Harpie Lady Sisters into attack mode!" she announced. "Then I'll activate the magic card, Shrink! This will cut your monster's attack power in half!" she explained as Terrorking Archfiend lowered to 1000 points.  
  
"Harpie Lady Sisters attack Terrorking Archfiend now!" she commanded as the three sisters formed the X and launched it at the archfiend monster, but then the attack hit the invisible barrier.  
  
"No! Forgot about that. I'll end my turn." She stated.  
  
Kevin drew. (Perfect!) "I sacrifice Iron Knight Gearfried in order to summon Cyber Tech Alligator (2500/1600)!" he announced as a tall metallic alligator with sharp yellow talons and two mechanical wings dominated the playing field. "Then I'll activate this! Mystical Space Typhoon will wipe away your golden armor!" he proclaimed as a vortex absorbed the armor. Damien glared at Kevin for a brief second.  
  
"Now Cyber Tech Alligator! Go and destroy Vilepawn Archfiend!" commanded Kevin while the alligator launched a green blast of energy, annihilating the archfiend monster. (D's LP: 7550)  
  
"Now I go!" Kaiba instantly declared while he drew. "I summon Blood Vors (1900/1200) in attack mode! However, Blue Eyes White Dragon, eliminate his Terrorking Archfiend!" he commanded while the ball of static and lightning flew across the arena, completely enshrouding the arena in light, and destroying Damien's last defense. (D's LP: 6550)  
  
"Now Blood Vors! Attack his life points directly!" he commanded while the monster slashed at Damien with his ax. (D's LP: 4650)  
  
Joey drew. "Go! Rocket Warrior (1500/1300) in attack mode! Now Rocket Warrior and Legendary Fisherman, attack his life points directly!" commanded Joey while the rocket blasted itself at Damien, and the fisherman threw his harpoon. (D's LP: 1300)  
  
"Alright you're almost finished!" cheered Joey.  
  
"Don't forget Joey. His deck master special ability can put his life points right back up" cautioned Yugi.  
  
"Open your eyes Yugi! If you notice, he has no cards in his hand. He can only draw one card and even if he does end up getting 2 cards in his hand, he still won't have any monsters left to guard his life points. He's finished no matter what card he draws" retorted Kaiba while Damien drew.  
  
"Ha! Check again Kaiba! First, I'll reveal a trap I've had! Solemn Wishes will increase my life points by 500 each and every time I draw from my deck. So, I'll draw now! (D's LP: 1800)  
  
Then prepare yourself, for I've drawn Recharge! For a simple price of 600 life points (D's LP: 1200) I can draw 6 new cards!" he explained while he re-drew his hand.  
  
"Ha!" sprang Anzu. "Activate trap, Sealing Destruction Sword! This card randomly discards a card from your hand!" she explained while a black sword pierced a monster card in Damien's hand, which he simply discarded into the graveyard.  
  
"No matter Anzu. I've always got a plan! For now I activate Surprising Revival! Now I can re-summon the monster you just destroyed in face-down defense mode!" he explained as a card image appeared on the field.  
  
"And I just need the best card to attack it." He thought, eyeing Yugi's Magnet Valkyrion.  
  
"So then I'll activate Monster Reborn to revive an old friend I threw into the graveyard a while ago! Mystical Knight of Jackal (2700/1200) return to the field now in attack mode!" commanded Damien while his tall knight with a deadly sword came up onto the field.  
  
"Now Mystical Knight of Jackal, attack..." he began eyeing the number of monsters he could wipe out. "Anzu's Soul of Purity and Light!" he commanded as the knight charged his sword then disappeared and reappeared directly on top on Anzu's monster, thrusting his sword out, destroying her from the top, down. (A's LP: 1200)  
  
"Ha! Your monster became 300 points weaker when it attacked my soul thanks to its special ability!" she responded, as if making a major impression.  
  
"Wow. 300 whole points. On the contrary, not only does my Mystical Knight of Jackal cause you to lose probably your strongest monster in that stack of cards you consider a "deck", but thanks to my Jackal's special ability, I can return your monster back onto the top of your deck! You won't be drawing anything to help you this turn Anzu!" he chuckled while the card instantly resurfaced on top of Anzu's deck, face down of course.  
  
"But that's enough for now. I'll set one card face down and then activate my deck master special ability to end my move!" he announced as blue orbs flew into his deck master. (D's LP: 10200)  
  
"He gained 9000 life points with one move!" Anzu called.  
  
(This is bad.) thought Kaiba. (If we don't summon powerful monsters, then his Mystical Knight of Jackal will just keep destroying them, and then putting them back on the top of our decks, so we can't draw any good cards. But, if we do summon powerful monsters, then he can just activate his deck master special ability and give his life points a serious boost. This is going to be hard...) he pondered.  
  
"My move!" Yugi announced while he drew. (This is risky, we have no idea what the face down monster is..) he thought, but decided to attack, at least he would uncover it and possibly leave Damien open for Kaiba's Blue Eyes White Dragon. "Magnet Valkyrion, prepare to attack the face down card!" he instructed while the monster slashed the card with its sword, revealing a Kiseitai (300/800).  
  
"No!" Yugi screamed, but the monster attached to Magnet Valkyrion head and placed it back on Yugi's field.  
  
"You fool!" Damien cheered. "I knew you wouldn't want to attack my Mystical Knight of Jackal! You thought he had another special ability didn't you Yugi! So, I set my Kiseitai as a decoy and you fell right into the trap I set! And you defeated Kaiba, Pegasus, and Marik all by yourself? Doesn't show. However, thanks to your foolish move, now I'll gain even more life points each and every standby phase! Plus, I can activate this trap card! Army Gathering! Since one of my monsters became an equip card on yours, it allows me to summon another monster from my deck with less than 2000 attack and defense points. So, I'll place this little number in face down defense mode." He stated.  
  
Anzu drew. (Oh I forgot this card could help me!) "I activate Masquerade! And I'll use it to take control of Yugi's Magnet Valkyrion!" she announced as a vibrant mask appeared on his face. "Attack the face down card!" she commanded as he sliced through it revealing a Plasma Eel (500/1200) which launched itself onto Magnet Valkyrion.  
  
"No! That's even worse!" Yugi thought.  
  
"You just know when to attack don't you?" Damien teased. "Not only does my Plasma Eel not allow you to sacrifice your monster, it also will reduce Magnet Valkyrion's attack by 500 points. However, since you can't sacrifice your monster I'll be gaining life points each and every one of your turns Yugi!" he laughed.  
  
Mai drew. "I'll end my turn by switching my Harpie Lady Sisters into defensive mode." She said.  
  
Kevin drew. "Cyber Tech Alligator go to defense mode! Then I'll summon Luster Dragon #2 (1900/1600) in defense mode as well. Then I'll set two cards face down to end my turn." He announced as his monster-shifted modes, and then a dragon appeared in a defensive stance.  
  
Kaiba drew. "I summon Lord of Dragons (1200/1100) in defense mode to end my turn."  
  
"What's the matter Kaiba? Too much of a coward to attack?" teased Damien.  
  
"Watch it Kaiba..." he said, noticing Kaiba toughen up.  
  
(It's okay Joey.) thought Yugi. (Kaiba's may want to, but he knows not to attack. I mean, with the two cards on my Magnet Valkyrion already, who knows what kind of trap or magic card that could be? That was a smart move on Kaiba's part.)  
  
Joey drew. (Okay the face down card is most definitely a trap. I mean, he wouldn't purposely leave his field empty except for a face down card, which must be a trap. BUT WAIT, what if he knows we would think that, so it isn't a trap. Wait, he's testing me. He knows that I would think it isn't a trap, so it is a trap after all. Except if he knows what I know, but he wants me to think what he knows...ah whatever I just won't attack.)  
  
"I'll pass this turn." Joey declared.  
  
Damien laughed. "I knew you'd fall for my real trap, there is no trap! You all could have direct attacked me and possibly deducted all of my life points! But you didn't and now you'll pay! Because now, first, I'm activating my magic card, Machine Replication Factory! Now I can summon 2 more Plasma Eels from my deck and attach them to the Blue Eyes White Dragon and Cyber Tech Alligator!" he announced as the two eels flew onto the dragon and metallic alligator.  
  
"Now I'm in control of the field! Speaking of that, I think its time to eliminate one of you and it all begins with me summoning my Kuriboh (300/200) to the field!" he explained as the little furball materialized on the field.  
  
"To seal your fate, I activate Rainbow Arch! So now I can attach it to my Kuriboh!" he explained as it glowed in a prism spectrum alignment from bottom to top. Go Kuriboh! Create the rainbow arch!" he instructed while Kuriboh created a rainbow from Damien to Anzu.  
  
"Goodbye Anzu! For now I can destroy you! Mystical Knight of Jackal, attack Anzu directly! Eliminate her from the duel. Farewell Anzu!" he snickered while the knight dashed onto the arch, charged at Anzu, coming down from above, knocking her down. (A's LP: 0) Damien snapped his fingers and Anzu disappeared in a flash of light.  
  
"Anzu!!!" Yugi cried. "Where did you send her?!" he shouted with rage in his voice.  
  
"Relax, because you'll be finding out for yourself in a matter of mere moments! All of you will!" he laughed.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CARDS PLAYED ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Gamma the Magnet Warrior: ****/1500/1800/ Rock Type  
  
Fairy's Gift: ****/1400/1000/ Spellcaster  
  
Harpie Lady: ****/1300/1400/ Winged Beast  
  
Beta the Magnet Warrior: ****/1700/1600/ Rock Type  
  
Kaiser Seahorse: ****/1700/1650/ Sea Serpent/ Desc: If you tribute summon this monster to summon a light type monster, you may treat this monster as 2 tribute monsters for the tribute summon.  
  
Iron Knight Gearfried: ****/1800/1600/ Warrior/ Desc: Any equip card equipped to this monster is automatically destroyed.  
  
Resurrection of Chakura: RITUAL MAGIC/Desc: This card is used to ritual summon "Chakura". You must also offer monsters whose total level stars equal 7 or more from the field or your hand as a tribute.  
  
Chakura: *******/2450/2000/ Plant/Desc: This card may only ritual summoned with the ritual card "Resurrection of Chakura." You must also offer monsters whose total level stars equal 7 or more from the field or your hand as a tribute.  
  
Fairy Meteor Crush: EQUIP MAGIC/Desc: When your monster equipped with this card attacks with an ATK that is higher than the DEF of your opponent's Defense Position monster, inflict the difference as Battle Damage to your opponent's Life Points.  
  
Dancing Fairy: ****/1700/1000/ Fairy/Desc: During your Standby Phase, if this Monster is in face-up Defense Mode, you gain 1000 Life Points.  
  
Silver Bow and Arrow: EQUIP MAGIC/Desc: A Fairy-Type monster equipped with this card increases its ATK and DEF by 300 points.  
  
Cestus of Dagla: EQUIP MAGIC/Desc: This card can only be equipped to Fairy- Type monsters. A monster equipped with this card increases its ATK by 500 points. When this card inflicts Battle Damage to your opponent's Life Points, increase your Life Points by an equal amount.  
  
Unfriendly Amazon: ****/2000/1000/ Warrior/Desc: Offer 1 of your monsters on the field as a Tribute (excluding this monster) during each of your Standby Phases. If you cannot, this card is destroyed. Monsters used for a Tribute Summon or that are offered as Tributes due to other cards' effects are excluded.  
  
Summoned Skull: ******/2500/1200/ Fiend  
  
Death Row: TRAP/Desc: You may only activate this trap during your opponent's battle phase. Destroy all of your opponent's monsters that have attacked in the battle phase in which this card is activated.  
  
Archfiend Soldier: ****/1900/1500/ Fiend  
  
Scapegoat: QUICK PLAY MAGIC/Desc: When this card is activated, you cannot summon any monster in the same turn (including flip summon and special summon). Place 4 "Sheep Tokens" (Beast-Type/EARTH/1 star/ATK: 0/DEF:0) in defense mode on your side of the field. The tokens cannot be used as a tribute for a tribute summon.  
  
Alpha the Magnet Warrior: ****/1400/1700/ Rock  
  
Magnet Valkyrion: ********/3500/3850/ Rock/Desc: You may only special summon this monster by offering "Alpha the Magnet Warrior", "Beta the Magnet Warrior", and "Gamma the Magnet Warrior" from your hand or field as a tribute. If "Alpha the Magnet Warrior", "Beta the Magnet Warrior" and "Gamma the Magnet Warrior" exist in your graveyard you may tribute this monster to special summon all three to the field.  
  
Reverse: QUICK PLAY MAGIC/Desc: You may only activate this card during your opponent's end phase. It immediately becomes your turn. Afterwards, turns resume as normal.  
  
Archfiend's Roar: TRAP/Desc: Pay 500 Life Points to activate this card. Special Summon 1 Archfiend Monster Card from your Graveyard. This monster cannot be offered as a Tribute under any conditions and is destroyed during the End Phase of this turn.  
  
Skull Archfiend of Lightning: ******/2500/1200/ Fiend/Desc: The controller of this card pays 500 Life Points during each of his/her Standby Phases (this is not optional). When this card is specifically designated as a target of the effect of a card controlled by your opponent, when resolving the effect, roll a six-sided die. If the result is 1, 3, or 6, negate the effect and destroy the opponent's card.  
  
Kelbek: ****/1500/1800/ Fairy/Desc: Any monster that attacks this card is returned to its owner's hand. Damage calculation is applied normally.  
  
Elegant Egotist: MAGIC/Desc: When there are 1 or more "Harpie Lady" cards on the field, you can Special Summon 1 "Harpie Lady" or "Harpie Lady Sisters" card from your hand or your Deck.  
  
Harpie Lady Sisters: ******/1950/2100/ Winged Beast/Desc: This monster can only be Special Summoned with the Magic Card "Elegant Egotist."  
  
Revival Terms: MAGIC/Desc: Discard one monster card from your hand to the graveyard. Special summon one monster with less than 2000 attack points from the graveyard to the field for 2 turns.  
  
Blue Eyes White Dragon: ********/3000/2500/ Dragon Type  
  
Legion Knight: ****/1600/1450/ Warrior/Desc: You may sacrifice this monster the turn it is normal summoned or flip summoned by discarding one card from your hand.  
  
The Legendary Fisherman: *****/1850/1500/ Warrior/Desc: When Umi is face-up on the field, this card is unaffected by any Magic Cards and cannot be attacked by your opponents monsters.  
  
Advanced Placement: MAGIC/Desc: Draw 3 cards from your deck, while your opponent draws 1.  
  
Graceful Charity: MAGIC/Desc: Draw 3 cards from your deck, then discard any two cards from your hand.  
  
Vilepawn Archfiend: **/1200/200/ Fiend/Desc: The controller of this card pays 500 Life Points during each of his/her Standby Phases (this is not optional). When this card is specifically designated as a target of the effect of a card controlled by your opponent, when resolving the effect, roll a six-sided die. If the result is 3, negate the effect and destroy the opponent's card. As long as this card remains face-up on the field, your opponent cannot attack another face-up Archfiend Monster Card.  
  
Premature Burial: EQUIP MAGIC/Desc: Pay 800 Life Points. Select 1 Monster Card from your Graveyard, Special Summon it on the field in face-up Attack Position, and equip it with this card. When this card is destroyed, the monster is also destroyed.  
  
Terrorking Archfiend: ****/2000/1500/ Fiend/Desc: You cannot Normal Summon or Flip Summon this card unless you have an Archfiend Monster Card on your side of the field. The controller of this card pays 800 Life Points during each of his/her Standby Phases (this is not optional). When this card is specifically designated as a target of the effect of a card controlled by your opponent, when resolving the effect, roll a six-sided die. If the result is 2 or 5, negate the effect and destroy the opponent's card. Also negate the effect of an Effect Monster that is destroyed by this monster in battle.  
  
Raregold Armor: EQUIP MAGIC/Desc: While you control the Equipped Monster, your opponent can only attack the Equipped Monster.  
  
Dark Witch: *****/1800/1700/ Fairy Type  
  
Soul of Purity and Light: ******/2000/1800/ Fairy Type/Desc: This card can only be Special Summoned by removing 2 LIGHT monsters in your Graveyard from play. As long as this card remains face-up on the field, decrease the ATK of all monsters on your opponent's side of the field by 300 points during his/her Battle Phase.  
  
Shrink: EQUIP MAGIC/Desc: A monster equipped with this card cuts its attack power in half.  
  
Cyber-Tech Alligator: ******/2500/1600/ Machine Type  
  
Mystical Space Typhoon: QUICK PLAY MAGIC/Desc: Destroy 1 Magic or Trap card on the Field.  
  
Blood Vors: ****/1900/1200/ Warrior Type  
  
Rocket Warrior: ****/1500/1300/ Warrior /Desc: This effect is used only during your Battle Phase. The Battle Damage done to this Monster is reduced to 0. Reduce the attack strength of a Monster that this one attacks by 500 until the end of the turn.  
  
Solemn Wishes: TRAP/Desc: Gain 500 life points each time you draw a card (or cards.)  
  
Recharge: QUICK PLAY MAGIC/Desc: Pay 600 life points to draw 6 cards from your deck. Discard your entire hand at the end of your sixth turn after activating this charge. If you have no hand, you receive 1500 points of direct damage.  
  
Sealing Destruction Sword: TRAP/Desc: You can activate this card when your opponent draws outside of their draw phase. Your opponent randomly discards one card from their hand.  
  
Surprising Revival: MAGIC/Desc: This card can only be activated when a monster is sent directly from your hand or deck to the graveyard. Immediately special summon the destroyed monster in face down defense position.  
  
Monster Reborn: MAGIC/Desc: Select 1 Monster Card from either your opponent's or your own Graveyard and place it on the field under your control in Attack or Defense Position (face-up). This is considered a Special Summon.  
  
Mystical Knight of Jackal: *******/2700/1200/ Beast-Warrior /Desc: You can return your opponent's own monster that is sent to the Graveyard by this monster as a result of battle to the top of his/her Deck.  
  
Army Gathering: TRAP/Desc: You may only activate this card when one of your monsters becomes an equip card on your opponent's monster. Special summon one monster in face down defense mode with less than 2000 attack and defense points. (No tribute is required for level 5 or higher).  
  
Masquerade: MAGIC/Desc: This card may only be activated during a duel where a player has teammates. Take control of one of your opponent's face up monsters until the end phase in which this card is activated.  
  
Plasma Eel: ****/500/1200/ Machine/Desc: When this card is Normal Summoned, Reverse Summoned or Special Summoned, you can Equip it on an opponent's Monster. Reduce the Equipped Monster's attack strength by 500 during each of your opponent's End Phases. The Equipped Monster can't be sacrificed. This card can't be destroyed as a result of Battle.  
  
Luster Dragon #2: ****/1900/1600/ Dragon Type  
  
Lord of Dragons: ****/1200/1100/ Spellcaster /Desc: While this card is face up on the field, magic cards, trap cards, or monster effects do not effect all dragon type monsters.  
  
Machine Replication Factory: PERMANENT MAGIC/Desc: While you have a Monster with an attack strength of 500 or less on the Field, by the effect of the Machine Replication Factory, you can Special Summon up to 2 of the same Monster from your deck to the Field.  
  
Kuriboh: */300/200/ Fiend/Desc: Discard this card from your hand to the Graveyard to make the damage inflicted to your Life Points by 1 opponent's monster 0. This effect must be activated during your opponent's Battle Phase.  
  
Rainbow Arch: EQUIP MAGIC/Desc: This card becomes an equipment card on a Kuriboh. Sacrifice the equipped Kuriboh. One of your monsters can attack your opponent directly. 


	20. The Black Gate Test, Part IV: Next In Li...

Disclaimer: See Chapter 19 for details  
  
Chapter 20: The Black Gate Test, Part IV: Next In Line  
  
"One down. Who is going to be next?" Damien teased. "Oh well, I'll set this one card face down and end my turn." (Okay, I have to get rid of that Lord of Dragons in my next turn, because, thanks to that, Plasma Eel doesn't affect the Blue Eyes White Dragon.) he thought.  
  
Yugi drew. "You will pay for that!" he announced.  
  
"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Wrong again! You'll be paying Yugi, with your life points first!" he declared as he gained life points. (D's LP: 11950)  
  
"That's enough! You will pay for this by the end of this duel! Now, I summon Big Shield Gardna (100/2600) in defense mode and set one card face down. That will end my turn."  
  
"No it won't!" Damien interrupted. "Your Valkyrion will pay as my Plasma Eel lowers its attack to 3000!" he announced.  
  
"Look out hot shot! I set one card face down and summon Amazoness Paladin (1700/300) in defense mode. Then, I'll set one card face down to end my turn." She announced while Kevin drew.  
  
(He's gonna pay for destroying Tea..) he thought, studying his cards and field. "Now I sacrifice Luster Dragon #2 in order to summon Kaiser Glider (2400/2200) in attack mode! Then I'll play Dragon Treasure, increasing its attack power by 300 points to 2700!" he exclaimed. (Just try attacking me now...) he thought watching Damien, who rolled his eyes at Kevin. He softly growled.  
  
"In case you've forgotten already, Cyber-Tech Alligator's attack is lowered to 2000 now thanks to my Plasma Eel! Soon, I'll destroy you!"  
  
Kaiba drew. (Let's see. I don't want to sacrifice Lord of Dragons, but I can sacrifice my Blue Eyes and be rid of that accursed Plasma Eel. And I just drew a card I can use.) he thought. "I now sacrifice my Blue Eyes White Dragon!" he declared as the dragon glowed, about to be sacrificed.  
  
"Hold on Kaiba! I'm no amateur! Reverse trap card, Sacrifice Shift! With this magic card, I decide which monster you sacrifice, for the bargain price of 1000 life points!" he exclaimed happily. (D's LP: 10950)  
  
"Now you will sacrifice Lord of Dragons!" he ordered as the dragon returned to its normal state, and the magician monster disappeared.  
  
"In order to summon Twilight Zone Dragon (1200/1500)!" he announced as the freestyle dragon came onto the field.  
  
"Now I'll end my move." He angrily stated.  
  
"What's that!? I couldn't hear you over my plasma eel weakening your strongest monster to 2500 attack points!" laughed Damien.  
  
Joey drew. (Luckily for me, I'm plasma eel free. Heh heh that rhymes.) he thought. "I'll summon Panther Warrior (2000/1600) in defense mode and then I'll set this one card face down and end my turn."  
  
Damien drew. (D's LP: 11450) "Even more luck! Because I've drawn Card Destruction!" he snickered while everyone discarded their hands and drew new ones. No one's strategy was badly ruined. (D's LP: 11950)  
  
"Look at what I've drawn! It's a card that will help me destroy one of you in two turns! Go my mighty Different Dimension Capsule!" he yelled as a blue capsule formed from the ground. "Now I can seal this card in my capsule from my deck and remove it from play for 2 turns! Then, the card automatically comes into my hand! So in my second turn from now, one of you will be gone." He threatened as everyone became worried.  
  
"Now then, I'll summon Infernalqueen Archfiend (900/1500) in defense mode and then I can discard this Desrook Archfiend from my hand to instantly special summon my Terrorking Archfiend (2000/1500) back to the field in defense mode. To finish my move, I'll discard two cards from my hand to invoke my deck master special ability!" he announced as even more blue orbs flew into his deck master. (D's LP: 28975)  
  
(NO WAY! He has almost 30,000 life points!) Joey thought.  
  
Yugi automatically drew. "Hmm. I sacrifice Big Shield Gardna in order to summon Death Volstargaf (2200/1700)!" he announced as his gigantic demon rose onto the field. "Now I'll end my turn." (D's LP: 30475)  
  
Mai drew. "My move!" she announced, "and I'll start by summoning Amazon Chain Master (1500/1300)!" Another amazon monster with a golden chain materialized on the field. "I'll end my turn here."  
  
Kevin drew. "Let's see. I can't sacrifice Cyber Tech Alligator and I've got Kaiser Glider on the field, with the same attack power as Mystical Knight of Jackal. Hmm..." he pondered, (I've got it!) "Kaiser Glider, attack Mystical Knight of Jackal!" commanded Kevin as everyone stared at him, however Kaiser Glider unleashed a golden fire blast, melting at the knight. Kaiser Glider remained on the field.  
  
"What?!" Damien yelled. "Your monster should be destroyed as well."  
  
"But he wasn't thanks to his special effect. Whenever my monster battles a monster with the same attack strength, it's not destroyed." He explained while ending his turn: (Cyber-Tech Alligator: 1500/1600)  
  
Kaiba drew. (Ah. Not bad) "Now I summon Twin Headed Behemoth (1500/1200) in defense mode, then I'll end my turn." (Blue Eyes White Dragon: 2000/2500)  
  
(If I can draw a dark monster, I can set him up for my Crush Card combo. No one had better force me to throw away this hand.) thought Kaiba.  
  
Joey drew. "Go! Wyvern Warrior (1500/1200) in defense mode! Then I'll activate Dice of Defense! Roll!" he commanded while the die dropped. It slowly came to a stop on 5. "A five! Oh yeah! That boosts Wyvern Warrior's defense power by 2000 to 3200! I'm untouchable!" he snickered.  
  
Damien drew. (D's LP: 35475) "First, I activate another card you all may remember! Advanced Placement! Ta-da!" he announced as he drew 3 cards from his deck, while his five opponents each drew one.  
  
"Now to activate my deck master special ability!" he chuckled.  
  
"Hold on! You've activated my trap card!" Kevin yelled. "Full Graveyard! For the rest of your turn you can't discard more than one card per effect into the graveyard!" he slyly smiled. "Plus, you lose 60% if you have more life points than I do!" he added. (D's LP: 14190)  
  
(Oh no. Then I have to pay for my Archfiend monsters) thought Damien. (D's LP: 12890)  
  
Damien growled. "If you think I'm done, you're sadly mistaken. I activate this magic card next, Pandemonium!" he announced as the arena transformed into a dark, devilish battlefield. "This magic card removes my payment for archfiend monsters and when one is destroyed I can search my deck for a new one that has a lower level than the one destroyed!"  
  
"Now that that's finished, time to destroy your Amazon Chain Master." He stated. Mai smirked. "Terrorking Archfiend, attack the Amazon Chain Master!" he commanded while the demon slashed the amazon monster.  
  
"Reverse trap! Mirror Wall!" Mai sprung while a reflective wall immediately created a boundary between Amazon Chain Master and Terrorking Archfiend.  
  
"Terrorking Archfiend Dice Roll!" retorted Damien while a die dropped on the playing field.  
  
"You see, if I roll a 2 or a 5, your Mirror Wall will be destroyed and I can continue my attack." Damien explained while the die began to roll. It landed on a 1. He growled while Mai sighed a sigh of relief. (Terrorking Archfiend: 1000/1500)  
  
"I'm not done yet!" he interrupted. "I activate Return to Base! For the bargain price of 1500 life points I can return Terrorking Archfiend to my hand!" he snickered while the monster's essence flew back to its card on the duel disk and then Damien snatched it and added it to his hand. (D's LP: 11390)  
  
"Now I can activate Tribute to the Doomed! By discarding Terrorking Archfiend, I can destroy Amazon Chain Master!" he explained while a mummy bandage wrapped around her.  
  
"But hold on. Amazon Chain Master has an effect!" Mai responded. "Before she leaves, she lets me steal one card from your deck!" she explained as the halfway-mummified amazon wound-up her chain.  
  
(Great. I don't know what monster this guy has in his deck, but almost every high powerful duelist I know keeps one of these in their decks.) she thought. "And the card I choose is Raigeki!" she announced while her amazon threw the chain at Damien's deck, striking the card and throwing it backwards, where Mai caught it.  
  
"Next turn I'm going to get to blow your defense away, and then we'll win this duel!" she declared.  
  
"I'll summon Darkbishop Archfiend (300/1400) in defense mode and end my turn." Damien grumbled.  
  
"But before you do, take a look at my trap card!" Yugi exclaimed while a card flipped up. "Compulsory Evacuation Device! With this trap I can return one card on the field back to its owner's hand!" he explained.  
  
"I'll choose to return Magnet Valkyrion to my hand, which will destroy your Kiseitai and Plasma Eel!" he declared while the two attachments exploded and the magnet warrior's essence flew into his card that Yugi snatched from his plate.  
  
Yugi drew. "Now I summon Retrained Elven Swordsman (1400/1200) in attack mode! Then I'll discard Magnet Valkyrion from my hand to special summon Alpha, Beta, and Gamma the magnet warriors back from the graveyard!" he explained as his three magnets materialized from under a black vortex.  
  
"Now remember my Death Volstargaf? He gains 200 attack points for each magic card played while he's on the field, and I count 4. So now Death Volstargaf (3000) attack Darkbishop Archfiend!" commanded Yugi while the demon unleashed his metallic blue blast, completely annihilating the archfiend monster.  
  
"Have you forgotten about my powerful Pandemonium magic card? I can add a level 2 Archfiend monster to my hand, the only one there is: Vilepawn Archfiend! Next turn, you won't be able to attack my Archfiend monsters!" said Damien. Mai drew.  
  
"Not unless we can destroy them so get ready!" Mai announced while she drew. "I activate the magic card I stole from you, Raigeki!" she announced, while a lightning bolt came an impaled Infernalqueen Archfiend.  
  
(I think Mai should have saved that card when he had more monsters on the field.) Kevin thought.  
  
"Now I switch Amazoness Paladin into attack mode! Amazoness Paladin attack his life points directly!" Mai commanded as the paladin chopped at Damien with her sword. (D's LP: 9590)  
  
"To finish my move I'll summon Amazoness Swords Woman (1500/1600) in attack mode, which also boosts the attack power of my Amazoness Paladin by 100 points." She explained.  
  
Kevin drew. (Hey this card could help soon.) he thought. "I activate Cost Down! Then I can summon Meteor Dragon (1800/2000) in attack mode! Meteor Dragon and Kaiser Glider attack Damien's life points immediately!" he commanded while a scorching red fireball joined the golden fire blast attack on Damien's life points. (D's LP: 5390). Damien simply shrugged off the attack. (Cyber Tech Alligator: 1000/1500)  
  
Kaiba drew. (Ah! Finally I can destroy that stupid Plasma Eel!) he thought. "I activate Fusion! Now Blue Eyes White Dragon fuse with my other 2 Blue Eyes White Dragons!" he announced while everyone, especially Kevin, watched in awe.  
  
"Reveal Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon (4500/3800)! Now go my Ultimate Dragon and feed on his life points! Neutron Blast attack!" commanded Kaiba while the mighty dragon unleashed three lightning blasts, which merged in mid air and aimed directly at Damien.  
  
"Finally someone falls into this trap! Activate trap card, Chaos Field!" he announced as his trap shook, and the three headed lightning blast paused. "Now this will pit your strongest monster against your team's weakest!" he announced as Alpha the Magnet Warrior appeared on Damien's field.  
  
"Feel the wrath of your "friend", Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon!" said Damien while the lightning blast resumed, completely blowing through Yugi's magnet warrior. "And not only that, but since the attack ironically has 3100 damage on Yugi's life points, he loses the duel!" laughed Damien.  
  
"Wrong." replied Yugi. "Because my trap card has saved me, just like yours saved you!" he announced as Damien recovered from his state of shock. "Since your attack would take away over 2000 of my life points, my Nutrient Z trap card gives me 4000 extra life points (Y's LP: 7000) before your attack does any damage." He explained. (Y's LP: 3900)  
  
"Very well." He announced while Joey drew.  
  
"I switch Panther Warrior into attack mode and then sacrifice a scapegoat so my panther can attack your life points directly!" Joey announced while the blue goat disappeared and Panther Warrior flew full speed at Damien and his life points. (D's LP: 3390)  
  
"Yeah! We almost got him down to zero!" Joey cheered. Damien drew.  
  
(Augh! This card won't let me draw anything.) he thought.  
  
"Yeah!" Kevin cheered. "Apparently he can't draw any cards, so his life points won't be going up!"  
  
"On the contrary." Damien unfortunately interrupted. "My Different Dimension Capsule magic card returns the card I've chosen to my hand." He explained while the capsule door opened and the back of a card flew onto Damien's plate, which he snatched and added to his hand.  
  
"Are you ready to see what I've chosen? It's going to bring one of you down right this very turn!" he explained while the gang looked at each other, except Kaiba. "It's one of two magic cards I personally created for this duel! Final Flash!" he exclaimed while he activated the magic card. Instantly a giant golden twister appeared on the field and absorbed everyone's deck master onto the playing field.  
  
"No way! A magic card that forces us to summon our deck master!" Mai yelled.  
  
"Wait Mai. We're not in any danger, because he has the weakest deck master of all of us!" Joey reassured.  
  
"Look again Joey. He wouldn't have activated that magic card if it wasn't going to help him. He has some plan to destroy one of our deck masters, and when it goes, so do we." Yugi responded.  
  
"Ding ding ding!" Damien proclaimed. "Yugi's right. Remember those blew orbs that flew into Kisetai every time I activated its deck master special ability? Well those orbs are about to finish one of you off, because Kisetai has 23 of those blue orbs in him, so his attack points increase by 2300!" explained Damien much to the gang's demise as Kiseitai's strength rose to 2600.  
  
"Go Kiseitai, finish off Mai by attacking the Cyber Harpie!" instructed Damien as the parasite wrapped itself around Mai's deck master, squeezing it tightly until it exploding into dust. "As you know, when the deck master is gone, so is the duelist!" he laughed as he snapped his fingers and Mai disappeared in the same style as Tea.  
  
"And let me just go ahead and tell you all, next on my agenda to eliminate is Kevin." He announced while Joey was hurt by Mai's departure.  
  
(That's two down, four to go. And they don't even know some of the secrets that lie inside my deck!) laughed Damien to himself.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CARDS PLAYED ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Big Shield Gardna: ****/100/2600/ Warrior /Desc: If this Monster is facedown when a Magic card targets it, negate that Magic card. At that time, this Monster changes to face-up defense mode. At the end of a Damage Step in which this Monster was attacked, it changes to attack mode.  
  
Amazoness Paladin: ****/1700/300/ Warrior /Desc: Increase this card's attack strength by 100 for each Monster card on your Field with [Amazoness] in its name.  
  
Kaiser Glider: *******/2400/2200/ Dragon /Desc: This card is not destroyed when it battles a monster with the same ATK. When this card is destroyed and sent to the graveyard, return 1 monster on the field to its owner's hand.  
  
Dragon Treasure: EQUIP MAGIC/Desc: A Dragon-Type monster equipped with this card increases its ATK and DEF by 300 points.  
  
Sacrifice Shift: TRAP/Desc: Pay 1000 life points. Until the End Phase in which this card is activated, whenever your opponent plans to sacrifice a monster, you may select which monster is to be sacrificed.  
  
Twilight Zone Dragon: *****/1200/1500/ Dragon /Desc: The effect of a Spell or Trap card cannot destroy this card unless the spell or trap card has a specific target. This monster is not destroyed as a result of battle when it battles a monster with an ATK of 1900 or less.  
  
Panther Warrior: ****/2000/1600/ Beast-Warrior /Desc: You must sacrifice a monster on your side of the field for this card to attack.  
  
Card Destruction: MAGIC/Desc: Both players must discard their current hands and draw the same number of the cards they discarded from their respective decks.  
  
Different Dimension Capsule: MAGIC/Desc: After this card is activated, it remains face up on the field until your second standby phase. Select 1 card from your deck, and then shuffle your deck. Remove the selected card from play and place it facedown. During your second standby phase, destroy this card and add the selected card to your hand.  
  
Infernalqueen Archfiend: ****/900/1500/ Fiend /Desc: The controller of this card pays 500 Life Points during each of his/her Standby Phases (this is not optional). When this card is specifically designated as a target of the effect of a card controlled by your opponent, when resolving the effect, roll a six-sided die. If the result is 2 or 5, negate the effect and destroy the opponent's card. As long as this card remains on the field, during each Standby Phase increase the ATK of 1 Archfiend monster by 1000 points.  
  
Desrook Archfiend: ***/1100/1800/ Fiend /Desc: The controller of this card pays 500 Life Points during each of his/her Standby Phases (this is not optional). When this card is specifically designated as a target of the effect of a card controlled by your opponent, when resolving the effect, roll a six-sided die. If the result is 3, negate the effect and destroy the opponent's card. When a "Terrorking Archfiend" on your side of the field is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, you can send this card from your hand to the Graveyard to Special Summon the "Terrorking Archfiend".  
  
Death Volstargaf: *****/2200/1700/ Fiend /Desc: When this monster inflicts battle damage, inflict 500 points of direct damage to your opponent's life points. This monster's attack points increase by 200 for every magic card played.  
  
Amazon Chain Master: ****/1500/1300/ Warrior /Desc: When this monster is sent to the graveyard by a card effect, take one card from your opponent's deck and add it to your hand.  
  
Twin Headed Behemoth: ****/1500/1200/ Dragon /Desc: If this monster is destroyed and sent to the graveyard, it is special summoned with an ATK and DEF of 1000 during the end phase of the turn. This effect can only be used once during the current duel.  
  
Wyvern Warrior: ****/1500/1200/ Warrior Type  
  
Dice of Defense: EQUIP MAGIC/Desc: Equip this to one face-up defense position monster on your side of the field. Roll a 6-sided die. The rolled number is multiplied by the equipped monster's level and the result is added to their defense points.  
  
Full Graveyard: TRAP/Desc: For the remainder of the turn that this card is activated, your opponent cannot discard more than 1 card from his or her hand per effect. Cut your opponent's life points 60% if they have more life points than you do.  
  
Pandemonium: FIELD MAGIC/Desc: Neither player has to pay Life Points during the Standby Phase for Archfiend monsters. Each time a player's Archfiend Monster Card(s) are destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, except as a result of battle, that player can select 1 Archfiend Monster Card from his/her Deck that has fewer Level Stars than the destroyed card and add it to his/her hand.  
  
Mirror Wall: PERMANENT TRAP/Desc: Reduce the ATK of all of your opponent's attacking Monsters by half.  
  
Return to Base: TRAP/Desc: Pay 1500 life points. Return one monster on your side of the field back to your hand. You may also pay 1000 more life points to special summon a monster with less stars than the returned monster to the field. (tributes still apply for level 5 and up)  
  
Tribute to the Doomed: MAGIC/Desc: Discard 1 card from you hand to the Graveyard to destroy 1 Monster Card on the field (regardless of position).  
  
Darkbishop Archfiend: ***/300/1400/ Fiend /Desc: The controller of this card pays 500 Life Points during each of his/her Standby Phases (this is not optional). When an Archfiend Monster Card on your side of the field is specifically designated as a target of the effect of a card controlled by your opponent, when resolving the effect, roll a six-sided die. If the result is 1, 3, or 6, negate the effect and destroy the opponent's card.  
  
Compulsory Evacuation Device: TRAP/Desc: Return one monster card on the field to the owner's hand.  
  
Retrained Elven Swordsman: ****/1400/1200/ Warrior /Desc: This monster is not destroyed as a result of battle when it battles a monster with an ATK of 1900 or more.  
  
Raigeki: MAGIC/Desc: Destroy all monsters on your opponent's side of the field.  
  
Amazoness Swords Woman: ****/1500/1600/ Warrior /Desc: The opponent takes all Battle Damage to this card's controller that he/she takes from a battle involving this monster.  
  
Cost Down: MAGIC/Desc: Discard 1 card from your hand. Downgrade all Monster Cards in your hand by 2 Levels until the End Phase of the turn this card is activated.  
  
Meteor Dragon: *****/1800/2000/ Dragon Type  
  
Fusion: MAGIC/Desc: Fuse 2 or more monsters from your hand or on your side of the field to form a fusion monster.  
  
Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon: *********/4500/3800/ Fusion/Dragon/ Desc: "Blue Eyes White Dragon" + "Blue Eyes White Dragon" + "Blue Eyes White Dragon"  
  
Chaos Field: TRAP/Desc: You may activate this card when your opponent attacks. Immediately take control of the monster with the lowest ATK strength on your opponent's side of the field, and immediately switch it into face up ATK position. (All battle damage goes to the owner of the monster who had the lowest ATK strength monster)  
  
Nutrient Z: TRAP/Desc: This card can only be activated during your opponent's Damage Step. During this turn, if you take Battle Damage of 2000 points or more, increase your Life Points by 4000 points before the damage is subtracted from your Life Points.  
  
Final Flash: MAGIC/Desc: All deck masters are special summoned to the playing field until the end phase in which this card is activated. 


	21. The Black Gate Test, Part V: Your Strong...

Disclaimer: See Chapter 20 for details  
  
Chapter 21: The Black Gate Test, Part V: Your Strongest Weapons  
  
(This duel has been easier and easier. No real threats have posed me. Plus, thanks to my deck master special ability I can recharge my life points every turn.) Damien thought, ending his turn.  
  
Yugi drew. (Just the card I needed!) he thought. "I activate Black Luster Ritual!" announced Yugi as two pots and a square with two swords crossing materialized behind Yugi's monsters. "By sacrificing my Beta the Magnet Warrior and Gamma the Magnet Warrior, I am able to call one of the most powerful warriors in all of duel monsters!" he burst while his two magnet warriors entered separate pots. The pots then shot vortexes of blue and purple energy into the sky. The square sprung straight and a yellow organism shot from it. The yellow covering dispersed, revealing the Black Luster Soldier (3000/2500).  
  
"Now Black Luster Soldier, attack Darkbishop Archfiend!" commanded Yugi as the monster slashed the ground sending a shockwave of energy at the archfiend monster. The energy hit the monster and disintegrated him.  
  
"Go Death Volstargaf (3800/1700) attack and wipe out his life points!" commanded Yugi as the monster launched a metallic blue blast heading at a rapid pace towards Damien.  
  
"Reverse trap, Negate Attack." Damien plainly said while a magic vortex appeared and absorbed the attack. (I'm running out of traps) he thought.  
  
(Why did he do that? He could have negated my Black Luster Soldier's attack and saved a monster) he thought.  
  
"Now I reveal my last set card, Reverse! Back to me again!" Damien interrupted while drawing. "Now I summon Tsuchi (200/1200) in attack mode. Next, I'll activate my monster's special ability! I can sacrifice it to draw 6 cards from my deck when I have none." He explained while his monster disappeared into the abyss, and Damien drew 6 new cards.  
  
(Great) thought Joey.  
  
"Finally I can fulfill the promise I had to destroy Kevin. For you see, my monster was special summoned, and when its destroyed I can special summon another monster from my hand. So I summon X Head Cannon (1800/1500) in attack mode! Then, I'll summon Z Metal Tank (1500/1300)! But wait! I can sacrifice these 2 monsters in order to summon the XZ- Tank Cannon (2400/2100)!" he exclaimed as his two monsters appeared on the field then fused into one.  
  
"Thanks to my Tank Cannon's special ability, I can discard two cards from my hand to destroy two face down cards. So, say goodbye to your two face down cards Kevin!" proclaimed Damien as two missiles came from the tank cannon, impaling both face down cards.  
  
(No...) thought Kevin.  
  
"Now go XZ-Tank Cannon, attack and destroy Panther Warrior!" commanded Damien while the monster launched a missile, which impaled and destroyed the panther. (J's LP: 2600)  
  
"I'll set these two cards face down to end my move." Damien added.  
  
Yugi drew. (Why didn't he use his deck master special ability?) pondered Yugi. (Oh well. Let's not give him time to. I've got a Fusion card in my hand. Should I fuse Black Luster Soldier with Kaiba's Ultimate Dragon? I'll hold on to it until my next turn.) he thought. "Go Black Magician Girl Valkyria (1600/1200) in attack mode! Go now Death Volstargaf, attack the XZ Tank Cannon!" commanded Yugi as the monster unleashed another metallic blue blast, annihilating the cannon monster. (D's LP: 1950)  
  
"Activate trap!" Damien sprung. "Intercepting Units! See, when you have a monster that could wipe out my life points and I have no monster on the field, my trap summons 5 Defender Walls (0/2000) to the field in defense mode!" he announced as five black shields lined up, protecting Damien.  
  
"Well I can tear one down! Black Luster Soldier, attack a Defender Wall!" commanded Yugi once more as the soldier smashed the ground, and disintegrated one of the shields. Yugi then was shocked to see his life points lower (Y's LP: 3400)  
  
"Oh I forgot to mention, whenever one of my defending tokens is destroyed, the controller of the attacking monster loses 500 life points." Damien sarcastically acted.  
  
Kevin drew. (I'm the only person with that Plasma Eel still on my monster.) he thought, drawing one of his favorites, not to mention best cards, Buster Blader. He smiled. "Now Kaiser Glider, attack!" declared Kevin.  
  
But Damien had other plans. "Reverse trap card, Power Sealing Box!" shouted Damien. A woman appeared and mentally moved Meteor Dragon in the air. "You see my trap lets me selected one monster on the field. Then, until my next turn, a monster with an attack higher than Meteor Dragon's can't attack. So my life points are safe!" he proclaimed. (Cyber Tech Alligator: 500/1600)  
  
Kaiba drew. "I pass." He muttered.  
  
Joey drew. "Well you're life points are close to safe! But I still have this card in my deck, Little Winguard (1400/1800)!"  
  
(He's becoming a menace.) thought Damien while he drew. (Heh heh. Just the card I want!) "Now I summon M-Warrior #3 (800/800) who lets me automatically summon a monster from my hand with less than 1000 attack points! So, meet Ojama Yellow (0/1000) in defense mode!" he exclaimed as a yellow creature came onto the field. It jiggled. "Then to make your matters even worse, I'll activate the healing magic of Pure People's Reward, another card created by yours truly, raising my life points by 5000 since I have less than 1500 life points (D's LP: 5550)  
  
"Finally, I can seal your fate! Engage Final Countdown!" he called as a ring with 20 spaces to be filled hovered above the playing field. White energy came from Damien, moving to the center of the ring. One piece of energy flew into an opening on the ring, immediately filling it with fire.  
  
"You see, for the mere price of 2000 life points (D's LP: 3550), every time anyone's turn begins, my ring will light up another space until each and all 20 are full. Then, comes a surprise. Let's put it this way, you don't want them to get to 20. I do. And if you fail in defeating my ring, well, all 4 of you will be defeated within the final turn. To finish things off, a set card should do." He declared. Yugi prepared to draw.  
  
"Reverse trap!" Damien spoke out. "Nightmare Exchange!" he announced as glowing black chains sprung from the card, wrapping around Black Magician's wrists and ankles. They dragged him to the field.  
  
"What is this?!" Yugi questioned in astonishment.  
  
"This trap I've activated draws your deck master to the field. For a little price, you can swap deck masters." He activated.  
  
Yugi contemplated about this. Black Magician was his key card, past and present. It could do him good to put it in his deck. But, there was a price. Would I cost him almost all his life points? Would it destroy some of his cards? He didn't want to, badly not to, but it was the Black Magician.  
  
"I'll return Black Magician, and then summon Kuriboh as my new deck master!" he announced as the furball appeared next to Yugi and the mage disappeared and reappeared in Yugi's deck, where the deck shuffled itself.  
  
Yugi drew Black Magician. (I don't want to sacrifice my Black Luster Soldier or my Death Volstargaf, so I can only hope I can summon a monster that will stick around until next turn) he thought. "I'll summon Dark Blade (1800/1400) in attack mode! Dark Blade and Black Magician Girl Valkyria, destroy his defenses!" he commanded as the warrior smashed through M- Warrior. Black Magician Girl Valkyria unleashed her pink magic attack at the Ojama monster, but in mid-air the attack crumbled.  
  
"What happened?!" Yugi asked.  
  
"Easy!" replied Damien. "When you destroyed my M-Warrior 3, you activated its special ability! It can immediately end your battle phase! However, now  
none of your monsters can attack me if they have an attack power higher  
than 1000!" he snickered.  
  
"So my life points are safe once more!"  
  
Kaiba growled at Yugi for making such a foolish mistake. (19)  
  
Kevin drew. (Still not the card I need!) he thought. (Wait! This can work.) he grinned. "I move my deck master, the Red Eyes Black Dragon, to the playing field!" he announced as his monster flew onto the field. "Now I activate Polymerization! Fuse Meteor Dragon and Red Eyes Black Dragon into one of the strongest dragons in Duel Monsters! Rise up, Meteor Black Dragon (3500/2000)!" he announced as the two dragons fused into a deadly purple dragon with flaming red and orange stripes all along his body.  
  
"Luckily for you, I can't attack this turn. So, I'll set one card face down to end my move." He stated. (Cyber Tech Alligator: 0/1600) (18)  
  
Kaiba drew. "I summon the mighty Battle Ox (1700/1000) to the field in attack mode!" he announced as the ax-wielding warrior materialized on the field. "Then I'll activate the magic card, Mountain!" he announced as a holographic mountainous terrain sprung from the field card. This card powers up all dragon, thunder, winged beast monsters by 200 points, so Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon is at 4700!"  
  
(Now all someone needs to do is draw Polymerization, and Yugi and I can summon a monster that can defeat this pathetic duelist in the next turn its summoned.) he thought. (17)  
  
Joey drew. "Go! Baby Dragon (1200/700) in defense mode!" he announced as the mini dragon shielded himself in its wings. "Then I'm switchin' Little Winguard to defense mode too, that will end my turn." He declared as his warrior guarded himself with his sword. (Next turn I'll summon Insect Queen.) he thought. (16)  
  
Damien drew. (Yes!) he thought. "Now I summon Ojama Black (0/1000) in defense mode as well. Then I'll activate the magic card, Legendary Sea of Atlantis!" he announced as a tidal wave and a palace burst from the card, enshrouding the field in water and blowing away Kaiba's mountains.  
  
"Then I can special summon Sea King Dragon (2000/2500 +200) to the field!" he declared as a wave of water burst upward, revealing a sky blue dragon who dove into the water. The dragon then rose up and fired a navy blue blast of hydroelectric energy at Cyber Tech Alligator, instantaneously removing him from the field, along with Plasma Eel.  
  
"Oh yes, my Sea King Dragon instantly destroys the weakest monster on your side of the field, but that's the least of your worries." He snickered. "Then I'll set a final card face down, before invoking Life Restoration to heal my life points by 2000!" he declared (D's LP: 5550) (15)  
  
Yugi drew. "Now Death Volstargaf (4400) attack and destroy Ojama Black!" commanded Yugi while the demon unearthed its almighty metallic blue blast at the Ojama monster.  
  
"This is the worst time to attack Yugi!" called Damien. "Reverse trap, Sonic Destruction! This trap not only negates your attack, but it removes from play all monsters on your side of the field for three of your turns. In other words, until Joey ends his turn you have no monsters on the field. (14)  
  
Kevin drew. "Go, Dragon Dwelling In the Cave (1300/2000). Dragon, attack Ojama Black!" he commanded as the dragon unleashed a small green wave of energy, which destroyed the Ojama monster. (13)  
  
Kaiba drew. (So Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon is gone for one turn) he thought eyeing his cards. "I'll remove from play my Lord of Dragons and Twilight Zone Dragon to summon this!" he announced, slapping a card onto the plate. "Chaos Emperor Dragon- Envoy of the End!" he declared as the dragon made its way onto the field. Its entrance roar was ear shattering. The dragon had dirty gold-rimmed wings expanding with blue sapphire color. The rest of its body followed the particular pattern as it made its entry with the rims of skeletal armor, right to the fully covered head trailing a fiery mane of red color. (3000/2500)  
  
"Go Chaos Emperor Dragon, wipe out Ojama Yellow!" Kaiba instructed as the dragon launched a blazing destructive red fireball, obliterating the monster and created a brief smoke screen.  
  
"I'll set one card face down to finish my turn." (12)  
  
Joey drew. (No! I have no monster cards in my hand!) he thought while he ended his turn. Then 4 portals appeared and everyone's monster flew up from the portals back into their respective positions, while Damien drew. (11)  
  
(Perfect!) "Now I can special summon Amphibian Egg (250/200) in defense mode, who automatically is hatched into the more powerful, mighty Amphibian Beast (2400/2000+200) in attack mode! Next, I'll activate Axe of Despair to raise my mighty creature's attack power by 1000!" he explained as his beast grabbed the red ax, increasing its strength (3400/2000 +200)  
  
"Afterwards, I'll activate the magic card, Shooting Star Bow- Ceal!" he announced as a bow and arrow appeared in Amphibian Beast's claws. "Though it lowers Amphibian Beast's attack power by 1000, I can attack your life points directly!" he enlightened as the monster drew back the arrow, which became surrounded in a blue aura.  
  
"Amphibian Beast, attack Kevin's life points!" he commanded as the amphibian released the arrow at a massive rate, holographically striking Kevin in the chest. (K's LP: 600)  
  
(Problem) weakly thought Kevin, recovering from the attack.  
  
"Now I'll set three cards face down and end my move." said Damien. (10)  
  
Yugi drew. (It's all over in 10 turns.) Yugi thought, eyeing the now half- full Final Countdown card. He then became refocused on defeating Damien. "I sacrifice Black Magician Girl Valkyria and Dark Blade in order to summon the all powerful Black Magician (2500/2100) in attack mode!" he announced as the two monsters swirled in a violet vortex that died down to reveal the purple robed mage.  
  
"Activate trap!" Damien sprung. "Torrential Tribute!" he announced as an immense stream of holographic water sprung from the card wiping out each and every monster on the field.  
  
"Then I'll activate this!" Kevin surprisingly burst. "Interdimensional Matter Transporter will remove my Meteor B. Dragon from play for one turn, so its not effected by your trap!" he explained as a mechanical transporter encased around the dragon, which then disappeared.  
  
Yugi was forced to end his turn. (9)  
  
Kevin drew. "Return, Meteor B. Dragon!" he instructed as the transporter returned to the field, along with Kevin's powerful dragon. "Go Meteor Black Dragon, incinerate his life points!" he commanded as the dragon unleashed a blast of sun-fueled fire, reducing Damien's life points catastrophically. (D's LP: 2050) (8)  
  
Kaiba drew. "I summon Flaming Dragon (1500/1200) in attack mode! Attack his life points at once my dragon!" instructed Kaiba as the behemoth sent a blast of massive wind at Damien, which lit on fire in mid-air.  
  
"Reverse second trap, Ojama Trio! This summons three Ojama tokens (0/1000) to defend me from your attack!" Damien explained while the devastating power of the fire blast destroyed one of Damien's defending tokens. (7) (D's LP: 1850)  
  
Joey drew. "I'll go ahead and set one card face down and then I'll summon Hayabusa Knight (1000/700) in attack mode to finish my turn." He declared. (6)  
  
Damien drew. (Ah-ha!) he thought, slapping it down. "Bribery allows me to draw 4 new cards for 1000 of my life points! However, another special effect is I gain 800 life points for each card I draw!" he gladly clarified as he snatched 4 cards from his deck. (D's LP: 4050)  
  
"Then I'll activate this magic card! Ojama Pact!" he announced as the two tokens disappeared and Ojama Black and Ojama Yellow (0/1000) appeared on the field. (D's LP: 3450)  
  
"Then I'll summon Executioner Makyura (1600/1200) in attack mode! I'll set one card face down, and then have Makyura attack Hayabusa Knight!" he instructed as the monster lept at the knight, ready to claw him into shreds.  
  
"Reveal trap card! Shift!" he announced as the executioner was repositioned to attack the Meteor B. Dragon. The dragon easily warded off the attack, and then responded with a massive fire blast, incinerating the warrior. (D's LP: 150)  
  
Damien laughed. "Did you honestly believe I didn't know you had a trap waiting for me? Now, you've activated Makyura's special ability! I can play this trap card from my hand, the card known as Rope of Life! This card not only revives my Executioner Makyura, but it gives him 800 extra attack points! (2400/1200)  
  
"However, the fun won't stop there! Reverse equip magic card, Execution Upgrade! This magic card equips to my Executioner Makyura!" Damien explained as Makyura received a new set of diamond hard steel, off black claws fueled with electricity.  
  
"Executioner Makyura, attack and destroy Meteor B. Dragon!" commanded Damien as the warrior glided over to the monster and stuck all 6 claws of its inside the dragon's chest. The claws unleashed a raging force of electricity, destroying the dragon. (K's LP: 200)  
  
"WHAT?! How did that happen?!" exclaimed Kevin, seeing his strongest monster vanquished easily.  
  
"Makyura gains 1500 attack points whenever it attacks a monster. So, do the math and that equals 3900, too hot for your dragon to handle! So, to finish things off, I'll end my turn." (5)  
  
Yugi drew. (This card doesn't help at all.) he thought. "I'll summon one monster in defense mode and that will end my turn." (4)  
  
Kevin drew. (MAN! That dragon was going to be my best bet. Hold on I think I found something even better.) he thought, seeing his luck.  
  
"Activate, Dragon Slaying Pact! For the price of 1 dragon type monster from my hand, I can summon Buster Blader (2600/2300) to the field in defense mode. However, next turn I'll destroy you!" he threatened, placing a card face down before completing his move. (3)  
  
Yugi nervously watched a seventeenth flame fill up on the Final Countdown magic card ring. Kaiba drew in the meantime. (Perfect. Now I'll summon a beast he won't stop!) he thought. (Wait!) he remembered. (Why wasn't Kevin eliminated when Meteor B. Dragon was destroyed?)  
  
FLASHBACK:  
  
Meteor B. Dragon being destroyed  
  
END FLASHBACK  
  
(Hold on! I remember now)  
  
**FLASHBACK  
  
Damien states other deck masters can only destroy deck masters. Should a regular monster, magic, or trap card destroy a deck master it is "invalid."  
  
"I summon Messenger of the White Dragon (1800/1500) in attack mode! Next, I'll activate this handy little spell, White Dragon's Arrival! It allows me to place a Blue Eyes White Dragon from my graveyard into my hand. Now stand back! For now I can sacrifice the Messenger of the White Dragon to summon my Blue Eyes White Dragon (3000/2500)!" he announced as a knight dressed completely in blue and white appeared on the field. A spell with the attack of a Blue Eyes picture on it also appeared, then, the knight and the magic card vanished to be replaced with one of the strongest single cards in duel monsters. The dragon roared a thunderous roar.  
  
(But I'm no fool. I know what will happen if I attack Makyura, so I'll wait for it to attack me.) he thought. "I'll set one card face down and then end my turn." He announced. (2)  
  
All eyes were on Joey. If he couldn't do something about the Final Countdown, they were going to lose after everything they sought after. Tea, Mai, and not to mention themselves lost or worse.  
  
(We're doomed.) Kaiba thought. (Come on Joey!) Kevin thought. (You can do this! You are a true duelist!) Yugi thought.  
  
Joey slowly drew. (Bang baby!) he thought. "Activate Giant Trunade! This card returns all magic and traps back to our hands, so you won't be winning this duel!" he snickered. Damien softly growled.  
  
"Then I sacrifice Hayabusa Knight to summon Lieutenant General (2300/1000)!" he announced as his tall black warrior made an remarkable appearance on the field.  
  
"However, I'm playin' him in defense mode. But, before I end my turn, he lets me take back a warrior card from my graveyard, so I summon back a monster you made me discard, D.D. Warrior Lady (1400/1500) in defense mode. Then I'll set this last card face down to end my turn." He declared, smiling.  
  
Damien drew. (I was so close to winning.) "I activate the magic card, Black Scale! It forces all of you to discard half of your hands, then I am able to draw that many cards!" he explained while Yugi discarded 2, Kevin- 2, Kaiba- 3, and Joey- 3. Damien then drew 10 cards from his deck. Yugi noticed his deck was running a little thin.  
  
"Now with a whole new hand comes a whole new point of view. And my first move will knock one of you out! For now I destroy Kevin by activating a magic card to seal his fate! Activate, Flip Side!" he happily declared as all monsters of Kaiba's, Yugi's, Kevin's, and Joey's monsters cards flipped over into facedown position.  
  
"No!" everyone thought.  
  
"But then the fun continues with Surprise Extermination! This card destroys all face down monsters on the field!" he snickered as all cards caught on fire, disintegrating then and there.  
  
"Then to take care of all your face down cards, Anti-Magic Arrows!" he declared as rows of yellow energy boosted arrows pinned all of Kaiba's, Yugi's, Kevin's, and Joey's face down magic or trap cards.  
  
"Now there's nothing you have to defend against this! That's one more "friend" gone! Executioner Makyura prepare to attack Kevin and blow away the rest of his life points!" he instructed as the monster's claws created a ball of electricity, which flew at Kevin, holographically electrocuting him. Ow! (just had to add that) (K's LP: 0)  
  
"Ha! You lose!" Damien chuckled, snapping his fingers. Kevin disappeared in the same fashion as Mai and Tea.  
  
"Well, whose next up to be eliminated? It doesn't matter, soon you'll all be gone!!" Damien laughed, which echoed through the playing field.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CARDS PLAYED ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Black Luster Ritual: RITUAL MAGIC/Desc: This card is used to ritual summon "Black Luster Soldier." You must also offer monsters whose level stars equal 8 or more from your hand or the field as a tribute.  
  
Black Luster Soldier: ********/3000/2500/ Warrior/ Ritual Type /Desc: This monster may only be ritual summoned with the magic card, "Black Luster Ritual." You must also offer monsters whose level stars equal 8 or more from your hand or the field as a tribute.  
  
Negate Attack: TRAP/Desc: When your opponent attacks with a monster, negate the attack and make your opponent's battle phase end.  
  
Tsuchi: ****/200/1200/ Beast /Desc: Whenever this monster is summoned, treat it as a special summon. When you have no cards in your hand, you may sacrifice this monster in face up attack position to draw 6 cards from your deck. If you use this effect, you may special summon one monster from your new hand in face up attack position.  
  
X-Head Cannon: ****/1800/1500/ Machine Type  
  
Z-Metal Tank: ****/1500/1300/ Machine Type  
  
XZ-Tank Cannon: ******/2400/2100/ Machine/Fusion /Desc: "X-Head Cannon" + "Z-Metal Tank" This monster can only be special summoned by removing from play the above monsters on your side of the field. You do not use "Polymerization" to special summon this monster from your Fusion deck. Discard 1 card from your hand to destroy 1 facedown Spell Card or Trap Card on your opponent's side of the field.  
  
Black Magician Girl Valkyria: ****/1600/1200/ Spellcaster /Desc: While this monster is on the field, you opponent may not target any of your other Magic User monsters for attacks.  
  
Intercepting Units: PERMANENT TRAP/Desc: This card may only be activated when you have no monsters on the field, and your opponent's monsters can reduce your life points to 0. Summon 5 "Defender Walls" (***/Earth/Rock/0/2000) in face up defense mode on your side of the field. If this card is destroyed, destroy all "Defender Walls" on your side of the field. When a "Defender Wall" is destroyed as a result of battle, inflict 500 points of direct damage to the owner of the monster who destroyed it.  
  
Power-Sealing Box: TRAP/Desc: You may only activate this card during your opponent's battle phase. When an opponent's monster attacks, negate that attack. Select one monster on your opponent's side of the field. Until this card's controller's next standby phase, a monster with a higher attack strength than the monster selected cannot attack.  
  
Little Winguard: ****/1400/1800/ Warrior /Desc: Once, during each of your End Phases, you may change the battle position of this card.  
  
M-Warrior #3: ****/800/800/ Warrior /Desc: When this monster is successfully normal summoned or special summoned, you may special summon one monster from your hand with less than 1000 attack points (tributes are not required for level 5 and higher). Also, during the turn this card is sent to graveyard as a result of battle, this card's controller may end the battle phase. In addition, until this card's controller's next standby phase, no monster with more than 1000 attack points may attack.  
  
Ojama Yellow: **/0/1000/ Beast Type  
  
Pure People's Reward: MAGIC/Desc: If your life points are lower than 1500, increase them by 5000. LIMIT: ONE PER DECK  
  
Final Countdown: MAGIC/Desc: Pay 2000 Life Points. After 20 turns have passed after you activate this card (counting the turn you activate this card as the 1st turn), you win the Duel.  
  
Nightmare Exchange: TRAP/Desc: Summon one deck master to the field. During this turn, the selected deck master can return to the respective player's deck. Then, the selected player may summon a new deck master.  
  
Dark Blade: ****/1800/1400/ Warrior Type  
  
Red Eyes Black Dragon: *******/2400/2000/ Dragon Type  
  
Fusion: MAGIC/Desc: Fuse 2 or more monsters into a new fusion monster.  
  
Meteor B. Dragon: ********/3500/2000/ Dragon/ Fusion Type /Desc: "Meteor Dragon" + "Red Eyes Black Dragon"  
  
Battle Ox: ****/1700/1000/ Beast-Warrior Type  
  
Mountain: FIELD MAGIC/Desc: Increases the ATK and DEF of all Dragon, Winged Beast, and Thunder-Type monsters by 200 points  
  
Baby Dragon: ***/1200/700/ Dragon Type  
  
Ojama Black: ***/0/1000/ Beast Type  
  
Legendary Sea of Atlantis: FIELD MAGIC/Desc: This card counts as the card named [Umi]. The Level of Water Main-Type Monsters in a player's hand and on the Field are reduced by one. Increase the attack and defense of all Water Main-Type Monsters on the Field by 200.  
  
Sea King Dragon: ******/2000/2500/ Sea Serpent /Desc: This card may be special summoned when "Umi" is face up on the field. When this monster is successfully special summoned, destroy the monster with the lowest ATK on your opponent's side of the field.  
  
Life Restoration: TRAP/Desc: Increase your life points by 2000.  
  
Sonic Destruction: TRAP/Desc: You may only activate this card when your opponent attacks. Remove from play all monsters on your opponent's side of the field for three turns. During those three turns, you may not attack.  
  
Dragon Dwelling in the Cave: ****/1300/2000/ Dragon Type  
  
Chaos Emperor Dragon: ********/3000/2500/ Dragon /Desc: This card can only be Special Summoned by removing 1 LIGHT and 1 DARK monster in your Graveyard from play. Pay 1000 of your Life Points to send all cards in both players' hands and on the field to the Graveyard. Inflict 300 points of damage to your opponent's Life Points for each card sent to the Graveyard by this effect.  
  
Amphibian Egg: ***/250/200/ Fish/ Desc: You may sacrifice this monster to special summon one "Amphibian Beast" from your hand to the field.  
  
Amphibian Beast: *******/2400/2000/ Fish Type  
  
Axe of Despair: EQUIP MAGIC/Desc: A monster equipped with this card increases its ATK by 1000 points. When this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard, you can offer 1 monster from the field as a tribute to place it on top of your Deck.  
  
Shooting Star Bow- Ceal: EQUIP MAGIC/Desc: A monster equipped with this card decreases its ATK by 1000 points. A monster equipped with this card can attack your opponent's Life Points directly.  
  
Black Magician: *******/2500/2100/ Spellcaster Type  
  
Torrential Tribute: TRAP/Desc: You can activate this card when a monster is summoned (including Flip Summon and Special Summon). Destroy all monsters on the field.  
  
Interdimensional Matter Transporter: TRAP/Desc: Select 1 face-up monster on your side of the field and remove it from play until the End Phase of the turn this card is activated.  
  
Flaming Dragon: ****/1500/1200/ Fire/ Desc: You may sacrifice this monster to special summon one level 5 or level 6 dragon type monster from your deck to the field.  
  
Ojama Trio: TRAP/Desc: Special Summon 3 "Ojama Tokens" (Beast-Type/LIGHT/2 Stars/ATK 0/DEF 1000) in Defense Position on your opponent's side of the field. The tokens cannot be used as a Tribute for a Tribute Summon. When an "Ojama Token" is destroyed, inflict 300 points of damage to the controller's Life Points.  
  
Hayabusa Knight: ***/1000/700/ Warrior /Desc: This monster can attack twice during your battle phase.  
  
Bribery: MAGIC/Desc: Pay 1000 life points. Draw 4 cards from your deck. Gain 800 life points for each card successfully drawn.  
  
Ojama Pact: TRAP/Desc: Sacrifice a number of "Ojama Tokens" to special summon one "Ojama Black", "Ojama Green", or "Ojama Yellow" from your graveyard for every "Ojama Token" sacrificed.  
  
Executioner Makyura: ****/1600/1200/ Warrior /Desc: During the turn in which this card is sent to the graveyard, this card's owner may play as may trap cards from their hand as possible.  
  
Shift: TRAP/Desc: You can activate this card when your opponent designates 1 monster on your side of the field as a target of a spell, trap, or battle attack. Switch the target to another monster on your side of the field.  
  
Rope of Life: TRAP/Desc: This card can only be activated by discarding your entire hand when 1 of your own monsters is sent to the Graveyard as a result of battle. Special Summon the monster just sent to the Graveyard to the field in face-up Attack or Defense Position and increase its ATK by 800 Points.  
  
Execution Upgrade: EQUIP MAGIC/Desc: This card may only be increased to an "Executioner Makyura." Whenever the "Executioner Makyura" is selected as the target of an attack, increase "Executioner Makyura's" attack strength by 1500 points. Also, during your battle phase, increase "Executioner Makyura's" attack strength by 1500 points.  
  
Dragon Slaying Pact: MAGIC/Desc: Discard 1 dragon type monster from your hand to special summon one "Buster Blader" from your hand, deck, or graveyard to the field.  
  
Buster Blader: *******/2600/2300/ Warrior /Desc: This monster's ATK increases by 500 for every dragon type monster in your opponent's graveyard or on their side of the field.  
  
Messenger of the White Dragon: ****/1800/1500/ Warrior /Desc: Sacrifice this face-up attack position monster to special summon one "Blue Eyes White Dragon" from your deck or hand in face up attack mode.  
  
White Dragon's Spell: MAGIC/Desc: Place one "Blue Eyes White Dragon" from your graveyard into your hand.  
  
Blue Eyes White Dragon: ********/3000/2500/ Dragon Type  
  
Giant Trunade: MAGIC/Desc: Return all magic and trap cards on the field to their respective owner's hands.  
  
Lieutenant General: ******/2300/1000/ Warrior /Desc: During the End Phase of which this card is normal summoned or special summoned, special summon 1 warrior monster from your graveyard to the field in face up attack or defense position.  
  
D.D. Warrior Lady: ****/1400/1500/ Warrior /Desc: When this card battles another monster, after Damage Calculation you can remove the opponent's monster and this card from play.  
  
Black Scale: MAGIC/Desc: Your opponent discards half of the cards in their hand. Draw the same amount.  
  
Flip Side: QUICK PLAY MAGIC/Desc: Flip all face up monsters on your opponent's side of the field face down, and vice-versa.  
  
Surprise Extermination: QUICK PLAY MAGIC/Desc: Destroy all face down monsters on your opponent's side of the field.  
  
Anti-Magic Arrows: CONTINIOUS MAGIC/Desc: This card can only be activated when your opponent has set magic and trap cards. As long as this card remains face up on the field, your opponent cannot activate the set magic and trap cards. Cards set after this card's activation are excluded. 


	22. The Black Gate Test, Part VI: And Then T...

Disclaimer: See Chapter 21 for details  
  
Chapter 22: The Black Gate Test, Part VI: And Then There Were Three  
  
Damien laughed, and then gradually stopped. "Those 3 were EASY. However, you all may be just a bit more difficult." He declared, as all 3 remaining foes glared in some form or another. Damien set 3 cards face down. "I'll add those and then activate Execution Upgrade from my hand to re-equip to my Executioner Makyura!" he announced, as the claws grew off black, complete with the electric force.  
  
Yugi drew. "You are going to pay for that!" he swore. "Now I summon Retrained Elven Swordsman (1400/1200) in attack mode! Then, I'll set one card face down to end my turn." He declared.  
  
Kaiba drew. "Y-Dragon Head (1500/1600) in defense mode!" he announced as his monster materialized before him. "I'll then set 2 cards face down and end my turn."  
  
Joey drew. (Not bad.) "Enraged Battle Ox (1700/1000) in attack mode!" he declared, as the golden energy glowing clone of Kaiba's monster emerged from its card, ready to slice any opposition to splinters.  
  
Damien drew. "Is that what I've reduced you down to? Well then Makyura! Attack and destroy the Y-Dragon Head!" he commanded as Makyura raised to 3900, then flew at the dragon.  
  
"Reverse trap! Attack Nullification!" Kaiba announced as Makyura hit a vortex, rebounding back to his side of the field. Damien let out a small growl.  
  
"Well then, you think you're so brilliant? Well then I'll activate a magic card that will place me with another new hand! Spirit of the Morphing Jar! You see, for a simple price of discarding my Morphing Jar monster, I can activate its effect! We all discard our old hands and draw 5 new cards.  
  
(Grand.) thought Damien. "Now activate Field magic card, Recycling Plant KC!" he announced as...nothing appeared. "Then I'll use its ability! I can discard 3 cards from my hand to draw 3 new cards from my deck." He explained, doing just that.  
  
"Then, I'll end my move."  
  
Yugi drew. "I summon Oppressed People (400/2000) in defense mode!" he declared as a group of people (who I think resemble Dawn of the Dead people) appeared on the field defending themselves. "Then I'll set another card down to end my move."  
  
Kaiba drew. "Go! X-Head Cannon (1800/1500) in attack mode!" he yelled as his cannon appeared next to his other monster. "Now I sacrifice X-Head Cannon and Y-Dragon Head to summon XY-Dragon Cannon (2200/1900) he announced as the monster fused together into a new monster. (Don't be hatin' on the description.)  
  
"Now I can discard one card from my hand to destroy your Execution Upgrade!" he instructed as the monster launched a missile at Makyura, destroying the black claws, revealing Makyura's old ones.  
  
"Now XY!" he began, but caught himself. "I'll end my move." He grumbled, wanting to end this now.  
  
Joey drew. (Great.) "Go! I summon Masaki the Legendary Swordsman (1100/1100) in defense mode. I'm also switchin my Battle Ox into defense mode to end my turn." He announced as his monsters adjusted into defensive arrangements.  
  
Damien snickered as he drew. "You truly are pathetic. First, I activate my Recycling Plant KC's ability! I can discard 2 cards to draw 2 cards from my deck. Then, I'll send Executioner Makyura to destroy the XY Dragon Cannon!" he announced as the monster dived at Kaiba's machine, slicing it to shreds. "I guess I'll try to let you all recover, but until then I'll end my turn. (K's LP: 2800)  
  
Yugi drew. "You should have attacked me! For now I can summon forth the Black Magician Girl (2000/1700 +300) by sacrificing my Oppressed People!" he announced as the magician girl lit up in her usual anime-appearance. Then I activate Magic Formula, which will increase her attack by 500!" he explained as a spell book flew out from the card, which Black Magician Girl began studying. (2500/1700 +300) "Then, because I have a Black Magician in my graveyard, she gains 300 more attack points! Black Magician Girl, attack Executioner Makyura!" he commanded as the magician girl sent a pink ribbon blasts with hearts around it at the demon.  
  
"Reverse trap! Demon Mirror of Nightmares!" Damien sprung. Instantly, a wind picked up, carrying a black mirror. A red ring formed in front of Yugi. Then, the mirror appeared on the field with a blinding yellow flash of light. Also, a mirror formed inside the red ring outlining Yugi. However, the magician girl's attack flew straight in the mirror, and through Yugi's mirror until the magician girl shattered it, revealing Damien unharmed. (Y's LP: 2400)  
  
"See. My mirror not only negates your attack, but also causes you 1000 damage!" he sneered.  
  
Kaiba drew Z-Metal Caterpillar. (Grand.) he thought. (Just one turn too late.) "I set a monster in defense mode and end my turn." He muttered.  
  
Joey drew. "I sacrifice both my monsters to summon the Insect Queen (2200/2400+200) in defense mode!" he exclaimed while his queen stuck her long, pointy legs out of the card, followed by her head and huge abdomen. She screeched her signature screech.  
  
Damien drew. "I activate my face down magic card, Cyber Armor Gravitation! This card allows me to discard my old hand and place 5 Cyber monsters in my hand!" he explained while physically searching through his deck, and choosing five monsters.  
  
"Now I activate a second effect of Recycling Plant KC! Since I discarded 2 cards from my hand, I can draw 2 more!" he happily cheered while drawing 2 more cards. "Now I discard Recycling Plant KC to activate this, Cyber Brain!" he explained as cyber universe materialized on the field behind Damien, shadowing the field.  
  
(Cyber monsters...) Yugi thought.  
  
"Now I sacrifice Executioner Makyura to summon Cyber Executioner Makyura (2100/1100+200)!" he explained as a new, chromed up version of his original monster took its place on the field.  
  
"Then I activate the magic card Mask of Brutality!" he announced while a demon mask with a blue jewel and two hands for eyes (I don't know) appeared on Damien's monster's face. (3300/300)  
  
"Now, normally I'd pay 1000 life points in my turn, but thanks to another face down card, Mask Doll! This card absorbs my magic card's negative effect! Go Cyber Makyura, and attack Black Magician Girl!" he commanded as the cyber monster began to swiftly swipe at the magician girl, ready to slice her to ribbons.  
  
"Reveal trap card, Hexagram Curse!" shouted Yugi as a yellow disk of magical energy encased Damien's cyber monster. It struggled to get free. Damien growled.  
  
Yugi drew. "I'll set one card face down and summon Kuriboh (300/200) in defense mode, and that will end my turn.  
  
Kaiba drew. "I sacrifice my face down monster to summon Luster Dragon! (2400/1400) he declared as his potent green dragon materialized on the field. Next, I'll set one card face down to finish my turn.  
  
Joey drew. (No real powerhouses here.) he thought. "So I'll summon a monster in defense mode to protect my life points, and then set this card face down to complete my turn." He declared.  
  
Damien drew. (Not bad.) "I set 2 cards face down and then I summon Cyber Harpie (1800/1300) in attack mode! Then I'll end my turn." He declared.  
  
Yugi drew. "Now I summon Gazelle, the King of Mythical Beasts (1500/1200) to the field in defense mode. Afterwards I reverse my trap card, Collected Power! This card forces all equip cards to go directly to Black Magician Girl!" yelled Yugi while the mask flew off Makyura's face and landed on Black Magician Girl's (3800/700) Makyura: (2300/1300)."  
  
"Go Black Magician Girl, and attack Cyber Executioner Makyura!" instructed Yugi as the magician girl twisted around and blasted a stream of pink heart ribbon at the cyber monster, obliterating it from the field.  
  
"And that means we win!" Yugi added.  
  
"Not quite." Sadly interrupted Damien, because I can reveal a trap I set, the card known as Firewall!" he exclaimed as two red ember columns spiraled from the trap card. They both combined to form a fire gate before Damien, which protected his life points.  
  
"Much like the Tornado Wall card, my Firewall protects my life points from any and all damage!" he laughed. Kaiba drew.  
  
"I summon the Ancient Lamp (900/1400) in defense mode, and use my lamp's special ability to summon La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp (1800/1000) to the field also in defense mode! Then I'll set one card face down and activate the magic card, Magic Sanctuary!" he declared as all 3 cards materialized on the field.  
  
"Due to my magic card's effect, all players put 1 magic card from their deck into their hand." He explained, while all 4 duelists investigated their cards until each had chosen one.  
  
"Also, a second effect is now all players can play magic cards during their opponent's turn." He coolly added.  
  
Joey drew. (Awesome. We can totally get at his life points now!) thought Joey. "I activate Monster Reborn to revive Android Psy..." he began.  
  
"Hold on! Due to Kaiba's magic card effect, I can activate this magic card from my hand! Magical Delay!" he stated while two pale blue wraps flew from the card encasing the hologram of Joey's Monster Reborn. The card then disappeared into air.  
  
"What happened!?!" Joey questioned.  
  
"See, the effect of my magic card allows me to negate the effect of a magic card and destroy it, but it's only sent to the graveyard for one turn. Next turn the card is put back into your hand. However, on the upscale, I gain 2000 life points for using this card" Damien said. (D's LP: 2350)  
  
As Joey ended his turn, the two wraps disappeared now and Joey's Monster Reborn card returned to his hand. (He was only prolonging his defeat. Next turn, I'll revive Android Psycho Shocker, automatically destroying his trap, then we'll have a clear shot at his life points.) he thought.  
  
"Now it's my turn!" Damien declared, as he drew. "Now I activate Grave Sacrifice! By this card, I will remove Android Psycho Shocker from play along with Tsuchi to summon Blue Eyes Cyber Dragon (3500/2400 +200)!" he announced as the two spirits collided together to form a metal chrome dragon with ferocious sky blue eyes, who roared a powerful roar which everyone recognized as one belonging to a Blue Eyes White Dragon.  
  
"Now Blue Eyes Cyber Dragon, attack the Luster Dragon!" he commanded as the dragon created static electricity, gathering strength, then unleashing a silver version of the mighty White Lightning Attack, enveloping Kaiba's dragon and eventually destroying it. (K's LP: 1500) Kaiba stood determined to take a version of his own beast down.  
  
"Now then I think a set card will end it for me." Damien added.  
  
Yugi drew. "Remember Yugi. You need to pay 1000 life points for Mask of Brutality, if you plan on keeping it "instantly stated Damien.  
  
(It's too much to pay for a duel of this magnitude.) Yugi thought, and decided to discard it (Black Magician Girl: 2800/1700)  
  
"I'll switch Black Magician Girl to defense mode, and then summon Big Shield Guardna (100/2600) in defense mode as well. These will protect my life points from your assault!" vigorously declared Yugi.  
  
Kaiba drew. (He's wiped out my field.) he angrily thought. "I activate Enemy Controller along with Refuse Pay!" he proclaimed as two magic cards appeared on the field. A game controller appeared, waiting for Kaiba's command.  
  
"Go Enemy Controller! Left, Right, A, B, Activate!!" Kaiba yelled as a cord sprung from the controller, sticking to Blue Eyes Cyber Dragon and dragging it to Kaiba's side of the field.  
  
"Then I'll activate Cost Down! And sacrifice Blue Eyes Cyber Dragon to summon Tyrant Dragon!! (2900/2500)" he declared as his red-orange winged creature swooped down from the sky, ready to annihilate anything opposing it.  
  
"Go Tyrant Dragon and attack Cyber Harpie!" commanded Kaiba as the dragon unleashed a mouthful of golden flames incinerating the cyber warrior as she screeched to her demise.  
  
"Now I've left you defenseless!" Kaiba declared.  
  
"Almost." Damien coolly responded.  
  
"What do you mean!?" Kaiba angrily said. "Stop toying with me."  
  
"This trap card will explain it all! Activate, Backup File!" sprung Damien as a trap card flipped up. "You see my trap card returns all Cyber monsters that were on the field, destroyed by your cards!" he happily declared as from the card burst Cyber Harpie and of course, the intimidating Blue Eyes Cyber Dragon.  
  
"Not only that, but see my trap card also allows me to discard a monster from my hand in order to revive a cyber monster from the graveyard whenever I wish. So, I'll just keep that in mind." He teased.  
  
Joey drew. (All right. I found an insect!) thought Joey. "First, I'm switchin the Insect Queen into attack mode! (2200+200/2400). Next, I'm summonin' Skull Mark Ladybug (500/1500) in attack mode! Now, I sacrifice Skull Mark Ladybug to the Insect Queen!" declared Joey as the insect queen feasted upon her sacrifice.  
  
"First things first, because of my monster's effect, I first gain 1000 life points." He smiled as his life points boosted. (J's LP: 4000) "However, Insect Queen can now attack your Cyber Harpie!" Joey instructed while the queen shot a blast of green acid at the harpie monster, melting her. Then a small insect egg came out from the queen's abdomen. (Insect Queen: 2600/2400)  
  
"Alright!" Joey cheered.  
  
(Fool. There's nothing to cheer about.) thought Damien.  
  
Damien drew. "Now I can summon Cyber Sage Falcos! (2100/1000 +200)!" he announced as a metal version of the monster Winged Sage Falcos appeared on the field. "Due to Cyber Sage Falcos' special ability, I can discard 2 cards from my hand in order to have it unleash 1150 points of damage on you!" announced Damien while the falcon flew in the air and bypassed Kaiba's monster, striking him in the shoulder. (K's LP: 1650)  
  
"Then to add to the fun I'll keep you in suspense by placing a card face down." He cleverly added.  
  
Yugi drew. "I'll set one card face down and then activate Monster Exchange! This card lets me discard one monster from my deck, to place one monster card back into my deck!" he explained while discarding a Witch of the Black Forest from his deck and putting Black Magician in his deck. (Black Magician Girl: 2500/1700)  
  
"Then I activate the magic card, Curtain of Black Magic!" he yelled as a black magical dimensional curtain with a skull head on top materialized on the field. "I can sacrifice half of my life points..." Yugi began. (Y's LP: 1200)  
  
"To summon my Black Magician (2500/2100) from my deck!" he completed as the magician flew out from the curtain, ready to strike.  
  
"Finally I'll activate Black Magic Curse Ring!" he exclaimed as two rings of black magic immediately materialized and encased Blue Eyes Cyber Dragon and Cyber Sage Falcos.  
  
"Now my magic rings will cause your monsters to lose attack points with every turn!" he exclaimed as the monsters lowered. (BECD: 3200/2600, Cyber Sage Falcos: 1600/900)  
  
"Now Black Magician, attack and destroy Cyber Harpie!" instructed Yugi while the mage pointed his staff, sending a streak of black magic at the cyber warrior, annihilating him.  
  
"That's all for now!" he boldly added.  
  
Kaiba drew. (Yugi thinks it's his work that's winning us this duel, but he doesn't remember I have summoned strong monsters during this.) "I summon the powerful Powered Gargoyle (1600/1200) in attack mode! I'll set a card down and end my turn." He stated.  
  
Joey drew. "I switch Insect Queen back into defense mode and then summon Axe Raider (1700/1150) in defense mode too!" he proclaimed.  
  
Damien drew. "Now I activate a trap card, a personal favorite, one known as Virus!" he announced while a purple mist flew onto the field, oozing strength from all of Kaiba's, Yugi's, and Joey's monsters on the field, all weakening their attack power by 700.  
  
"My trap is exceedingly full of powers! First, it weakens all of my opponent's monsters attack power by 700 points. Secondly, each turn you fail to defeat my virus, you'll not only lose life points, but cards from your deck as well. You'd better defeat my virus soon. Oh, and don't think magic cards will save you. Virus is immune to the effects of all magic cards!! Get it? Virus, immune?! (had to throw in a bad pun somewhere)  
  
"But that's enough to keep you all busy! Blue Eyes Cyber Dragon, time to attack Kaiba's Powered Gargoyle and defeat another player!" he snickered. Kaiba and Yugi both laughed simultaneously.  
  
"What's funny about losing!?" impatiently asked Damien.  
  
"Your monsters can't attack as long as they're locked in the mystical powers of my Black Magic Curse Ring!" Yugi explained this while Damien annoyed, ended his turn, but not before summoning a Cyber Harpie in defense mode (1300).  
  
Yugi drew. (This will help!) he thought. "I now activate the magic card, Black Magic!" he proclaimed as Black Magician raised his staff, sending out waves of magic destroying all of Damien's magic and trap cards on the field. Well, all but one. He snarled in Yugi's direction. Yugi didn't care.  
  
"Plus, your monsters are weakened even more!" he declared. (CEBD: 2700/2600)  
  
"Now Black Magician Girl, attack Cyber Harpie!" commanded Yugi, however a black spirit flew from the card, wrapping around the Black Magician Girl, and Yugi was shocked to see his life points lower.  
  
"What is this?!" Yugi inquired.  
  
"Oh, did I happen to forget to mention each time you attack with a virus infected monster, you lose half of its original attack points?" Damien sarcastically questioned. (Y's LP: 200)  
  
"You're just lucky you didn't attack with Black Magician or you'd be out of this duel!" he laughed.  
  
Kaiba drew. (Perfect!) he thought. "I sacrifice the Powered Gargoyle to summon my Crimson Dragon (2300/1600)!" he declared as a beautiful, slender crimson dragon with two dusty golden wings flew onto the field. It screeched. "Now my monster's special ability allows it to attack your life points directly by discarding one card from my hand! So, strike his life points down my dragon!" Kaiba instructed while the crimson dragon unleashed a sphere of crimson fire, scorching Damien.  
  
"That was pointless." Damien added.  
  
"Not necessarily! For now I can activate Revival Terms! I can discard a card from my hand to special summon the Battle Ox (1700/1000) from the graveyard! Now whose in charge?" Kaiba smirked. Joey drew.  
  
(Perfect!) he thought. "I activate Warrior Revolution, which allows me to summon these five monsters from my deck! So now I summon Gold Knight! (1000/800), Platinum Knight (1000/800), Silver Knight (800/1000), Copper Knight (900/900) and Bronze Knight (1200/500)!" he announced as the five monsters burst from the card. To everyone's surprise, Insect Queen wasn't destroyed.  
  
"Yeah. Basically, my card will keep my queen around for this turn! However, now I can fuse all 5 of my nights together with the magic card, Fusion!" he declared while all five nights bodies scattered, then regrouped into a tall warrior with a glaring, glowing sword ready to carve up any opposition.  
  
Meet the ultimate Camelot Knight (2800/2300)!" Joey burst while the knight received a white stallion to ride on! "Now I reveal one of my knight's special abilities! I can remove from play Gold Knight and Platinum Knight to destroy one card on your side of the field, and I'm choosing your Firewall trap! Then I activate another ability of my monster, by removing Bronze, Copper, and Silver Knights from play, I can attack your life points directly with my night! So get ready, because I'm fixing to end this duel! Camelot Knight, attack Damien's life points and get us out of here!" he cheered as his horse rode to strike down the enemy.  
  
Damien snickered as a trap flipped up. "Ion Stream will not only protect me from your attack, but will allow me to counterattack with a monster! So go Blue Eyes Cyber Dragon, wipe out his pathetic soldier!" he laughed as the dragon appeared in the knight's path. Before the knight could even swing his sword once, he and his horse were blown apart by the silver lightning attack. (J's LP: 3100)  
  
(All that work for nothin') he thought, ending his move.  
  
Damien drew. "Meet one consequence of not destroying Virus! Each of you must remove the top 10 cards on the top of your deck from play." He explained while each duelist did just that.  
  
"I'll add Dian Keto the Cure Master to raise my life points by 1000!" (D's LP: 3350) and then I will summon Archfiend Cyber Soldier (2100/1200) and then, lastly, invoke the powers of Electron Magnet, raising all my cyber monsters attack power by 500!" he laughed maniacally: (Blue Eyes Cyber Dragon: 4000/2400, Cyber Sage Falcos: 2200/1100, Archfiend Cyber Soldier: 2400/1200)  
  
"But before Kaiba's finale I'll give him something to be happy about! My Rain of Mercy card raises all player's life points by 1000!" he explained to the gang's delight. (D's LP: 4350) (Y's LP: 1200) (J's LP: 4100) (K's LP: 2650)  
  
"Wipe out the Crimson Dragon my deadly Cyber Blue Eyes! Defeat Kaiba!" he commanded as the silver lightning ball charged up.  
  
But Kaiba spoke out. "Reveal the trap that will end this duel, my Ring of Destruction!" he shouted as the trap flipped up and a flaming ring encircled the dragon's neck. "Now your monster will be destroyed along with all of your life points!" he snickered, as the ring was about to explode, ending the game.  
  
"You people always jump to conclusions." Damien sighed. "True, someone's about to lose all their life points, but unluckily for you, Kaiba, it will be you! For reveal the magic powers of the trap known as Curse Transfer!" he sprung as the card magically moved the flaming ring onto Kaiba's Crimson Dragon. The ring then exploded. (K's LP: 350) (D's LP: 2050)  
  
"Now I can finish you for good! Archfiend Cyber Soldier, destroy his last pathetic defense!" he commanded while the monster unveiled a crescent sword, and effortlessly sliced up the defending ox.  
  
"However, before you're destroyed, I think I'll prove that any card of mine is superior to yours! So activate, Mercy!" he laughed. "My magic card allows me to let you summon a monster of my choosing from your deck or graveyard! The card I choose, the powerful Blue Eyes White Dragon!" he exclaimed as from the sky burst an array of powder blue and white light. From it everyone heard the cry of a familiar monster whom everyone instantaneously recognized as the Blue Eyes White Dragon (3000/2500). Kaiba growled, knowing of what was to come. "Now Blue Eyes Cyber Dragon, incinerate your weaker self. Show Kaiba I am superior to him in every way! Go now and finish him!" he instructed while the dragon charged up a bigger, and stronger blast of silver lightning. This blast covered a huge area, as if the dragons were the duelists themselves. In the middle of the blast, blinding everyone from sight, there was a faint cry and a sound of destruction. When the light died down, Kaiba's dragon was no more. (K's LP: 0)  
  
"And there is another one." Damien smirked, clapping his hands. Kaiba instantly disappeared in the same style as Kevin, Mai, and Tea. Yugi gasped while Joey didn't really care. Ok, maybe just a little.  
  
(It's just us.) Joey thought, breathing heavily.  
  
(I wonder if Joey and I can do this. He's already wiped out half our team with no real threats posing him.) Yugi thought placing his hand on his deck.  
  
(We have to believe in the heart of the cards! No matter how tough he may seem, no matter how strong the body of his deck is, it is nothing without a heart! Let's win this, for all of us!) Yugi strongly thought, ready to defeat Damien, no matter what it took.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CARDS PLAYED ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Execution Upgrade: EQUIP MAGIC/Desc: This card may only be increased to an "Executioner Makyura." Whenever the "Executioner Makyura" is selected as the target of an attack, increase "Executioner Makyura's" attack strength by 1500 points. Also, during your battle phase, increase "Executioner Makyura's" attack strength by 1500 points.  
  
Retrained Elven Swordsman: Level 4/1400/1200/ Warrior /Desc: This monster is not destroyed as a result of battle when it battles a monster with an attack of 1900 or more. Damage calculation is applied normally.  
  
Y-Dragon Head: Level 4/1500/1600/ Machine  
  
Enraged Battle Ox: Level 4/1700/1000/ Beast-Warrior/ Desc: As long as this card remains face-up on the field, whenever a beast-warrior, winged beast, or beast type monster attacks with an ATK that is higher than your opponent's DEF, inflict the difference as battle damage to your opponent's life points.  
  
Attack Nullification: TRAP/Desc: Activate this card when your opponent attacks. Negate the attack, and make your opponent's battle phase end.  
  
Spirit of the Morphing Jar: MAGIC/Desc: Send a "Morphing Jar" from your deck to your graveyard to immediately activate its effect.  
  
Recycling Plant KC: FIELD MAGIC/Desc: Once per turn, you may discard up to 4 cards from your hand. Draw the same amount of cards you discard from your deck. Also, any time cards are discarded from your hand due to a monster, magic, or trap effect, draw the same number of cards that were discarded after the effect is resolved.  
  
Oppressed People: Level 1 /400/2000/ Water Type  
  
X-Head Cannon: Level 4/1800/1500/ Machine Type  
  
XY-Dragon Cannon: Level 6 /2200/1900/ Machine /Desc: "X-Head Cannon" + "Y- Dragon Head" This monster can only be Special Summoned by removing from play the above monsters on your side of the field. You do not use "Polymerization" to Special Summon this monster from your Fusion Deck. Discard 1 card from your hand to destroy 1 face-up Spell Card or Trap card on your opponent's side of the field.  
  
Masaki the Legendary Swordsman: Level 3/1100/1100/ Warrior Type  
  
Black Magician Girl: Level 6 /2000/1700/ Magician /Desc: This monster gains 300 ATK for each "Black Magician" or "Magician of Black Chaos" in either player's graveyard.  
  
Magic Formula: EQUIP MAGIC/Desc: This card may only be equipped to "Black Magician" or "Black Magician Girl." Increase the monster's ATK by 500 points.  
  
Demon Mirror of Nightmares: TRAP/Desc: You can activate this card when an opponent's Monster attacks. Discard 1 card from your hand. Negate that attack and do 1000 damage to your opponent.  
  
Z-Metal Caterpillar: Level 4/1500/1300/ Machine Type  
  
Insect Queen: Level 7/2200/2400/ Insect (what did you expect) /Desc: You must sacrifice one monster in order for this monster to attack. Increase this monsters attack by 200 for every Insect monster on your side of the field. At the end of a turn in which this monster destroys another monster, place one Insect Token (Insect/Earth/100/100/1) in attack mode on the field.  
  
Cyber Armor Gravitation: MAGIC/Desc: Discard your entire hand to place 5 "Cyber" type monsters from your deck into your hand.  
  
Cyber Brian: FIELD MAGIC/Desc: Downgrade all CYBER type monsters in both players hands by 1. Increase the ATK and DEF of all CYBER monsters by 200 points.  
  
Cyber Executioner Makyura: Level 6 /2100/1100 /Cyber /Desc: This card is treated as "Executioner Makyura." When this card goes to the graveyard, a player may activate a trap card from his or her hand.  
  
Mask of Brutality: MAGIC/Desc: A monster equipped with this card increases its ATK by 1000 points and decreases its DEF by 1000 points. Pay 1000 Life Points during each of your Standby Phases. If you cannot, this card is destroyed.  
  
Mask Doll: MAGIC/Desc: Negate any negative effects of all face up magic or trap cards with "Mask" in their name.  
  
Hexagram Curse: TRAP/Desc: Select a monster. As long as this card remains face-up on the field, the selected monster cannot attack or change its battle position except by the effect of a Magic, Trap, or Effect Monster card. When the selected is destroyed, this card is also destroyed. If the selected monster is offered as a Tribute, this card is not destroyed.  
  
Kuriboh: Level 1/300/200/ Fiend /Desc: Discard this card from your hand to the Graveyard to make the damage inflicted to your Life Points by 1 opponent's monster 0. This effect must be activated during your opponent's Battle Phase.  
  
Luster Dragon: Level 6/2400/1400/ Dragon Type  
  
Cyber Harpie: Level 4/1800/1300/ Cyber/Desc: This card's name is treated as "Harpie Lady."  
  
Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts: Level 4/1500/1200/ Beast Type  
  
Collected Power: TRAP/Desc: Select 1 face-up monster on the field. Equip this monster with all face-up Equip Magic Cards on the field. If the target of the Equip Magic Card is not correct, destroy the Equip Magic Card.  
  
Firewall: TRAP/Desc: This card can only be activated when Cyber Brain is active on the field. As long as Cyber Brain remains face-up on the field, any damage to your Life Points becomes 0. When Cyber Brain is destroyed or removed from the field, this card is also destroyed.  
  
Ancient Lamp: Level 4 /900/1400/ Desc: When this card is normal summoned or special summoned you may special summon one "La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp" from your hand, deck, or graveyard to the field.  
  
La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp: Level 4/1800/1000/ Fiend Type  
  
Magic Sanctuary: PERMANENT MAGIC/Desc: When this card is played, each player puts 1 Magic card from his or her deck into his or her hand, then shuffles his or her deck. While this card is on the field, players can play Magic cards during other players' turns.  
  
Monster Reborn: MAGIC/Desc: Select 1 Monster Card from either your opponent's or your own Graveyard and place it on the field under your control in Attack or Defense Position (face-up). This is considered a Special Summon.  
  
Magical Delay: QUICK PLAY MAGIC/Desc: Gain 2000 life points. Negate the activation of a magic card and send it to the graveyard for one turn. The turn after this card is used, the magic card is returned to the owner's hand.  
  
Blue Eyes Cyber Dragon: Level 9 /3500/2400/ Cyber Type  
  
Big Shield Guardna: Level 4/ 100/2600/ Warrior Type  
  
Enemy Controller: QUICK PLAY MAGIC/Desc: Choose 1 of the following effects and activate it. Change the mode of 1 face-up Monster on your opponent's Field. Choose 1 face-up Monster on your opponent's Field. Gain control of the chosen Monster until the end of the activated turn.  
  
Refuse Pay: MAGIC/Desc: If you have an effect, magic, or trap card that requires you to sacrifice Life Points. You may activate the effect but not sacrifice life points.  
  
Cost Down: MAGIC/Desc: Discard 1 card from your hand. Downgrade all Monster Cards in your hand by 2 Levels until the End Phase of the turn this card is activated.  
  
Tyrant Dragon: Level 8/ 2900/2500/ Dragon /Desc: When there is a monster on your opponent's side of the field after the first attack of your Battle Phase, this monster can attack once again during the same Battle Phase. In addition, negate the effect of a Trap Card that specifically designates this card as a target and destroy it. If this monster is Special Summoned from the Graveyard, you must offer 1 Dragon-Type monster on your side of the field as a Tribute.  
  
Backup File: PERMANENT TRAP/Desc: Special summon all CYBER monsters destroying during this turn as a result of battle or destroyed by an opponent's card effect from the graveyard during the turn this card is activated. Also, you may discard one card from your hand to special summon one CYBER monster from the graveyard.  
  
Skull Mark Ladybug: Level 4/ 500/1500/ Insect/ Desc: When this card is sent to the graveyard, increase the owner's life points by 1000.  
  
Cyber Sage Falcos: Level 4/ 2100/1000/ Cyber /Desc: Randomly discard two cards from your hand to inflict half of this monster's ATK to your opponent's life points.  
  
Monster Exchange: MAGIC/Desc: Discard one monster card directly from your deck to your graveyard to place one monster in your graveyard back into your deck.  
  
Black Magic Curtain: MAGIC/Desc: Pay half of your life points. Special summon one "Black Magician" from your hand or deck to the field.  
  
Black Magician: Level 7 /2500/2100/ Magician Type  
  
Black Magic Curse Ring: EQUIP MAGIC/Desc: This card can only be activated when there is a face up monster with "Magician" in its name. Equip this to all of your opponent's face up monsters. During each of your battle phases, decrease the equipped monster's ATK by 500 points. In addition, a monster equipped with this card cannot attack.  
  
Powered Gargoyle: ****/1600/1200/ Fiend Type  
  
Axe Raider: ****/1700/1150/ Warrior Type  
  
Virus: TRAP/Desc: This card can only be activated when "Cyber Brain" is face up on the field. Decrease all of your opponent's monster's ATK points by 700. Each time your opponent attacks subtract half the ATK of the attacking monster from your opponent's life points and add it to your own. Also, negate the attack. In addition, during each of your standby phases, your opponent removes the top 10 cards from his or her deck from play. A magic card cannot destroy this card.  
  
Black Magic: MAGIC/Desc: This card may only be activated when you have a face up "Black Magician" on the field. Destroy all of your opponent's magic and trap cards.  
  
Crimson Dragon: ******/2300/1600/ Dragon /Desc: This monster may attack your opponent's life points directly by discarding one card from your hand. This is the only attack you may make during the battle phase.  
  
Revival Terms: MAGIC/Desc: Special summon one monster from your graveyard for two turns.  
  
Battle Ox: ****/1700/1000/ Beast-Warrior  
  
Warrior Revolution: MAGIC/Desc: Special summon one "Gold Knight", "Platinum Knight", "Bronze Knight", "Silver Knight" and "Copper Knight" from your deck to the field. During the turn this card is activated, the owner of this card may have 10 monsters on the field.  
  
Gold Knight: */1000/800/ Warrior/ Desc: This card may only be special summoned through the effect of "Warrior Revolution."  
  
Platinum Knight: */1000/800/ Warrior /Desc: This card may only be special summoned through the effect of "Warrior Revolution."  
  
Silver Knight: */800/1000/ Warrior /Desc: This card may only be special summoned through the effect of "Warrior Revolution."  
  
Bronze Knight: */900/900/ Warrior/ Desc: This card may only be special summoned through the effect of "Warrior Revolution."  
  
Copper Knight: */1200/500/ Warrior/ Desc: This card may only be special summoned through the effect of "Warrior Revolution."  
  
Fusion: MAGIC/Desc: Fuse 2 or more fusion material monsters to form a fusion monster.  
  
Camelot Knight: *********/2800/2300/ Warrior/Fusion Type /Desc: "Gold Knight" + "Platinum Knight" + "Silver Knight" + "Bronze Knight" + "Copper Knight". This monster may only be fusion summoned. Remove 2 monsters in your graveyard from play to destroy one card on the field. This monster attack your opponent's life points directly by removing 3 monsters in your graveyard from play.  
  
Ion Stream: TRAP/Desc: Negate the attack of one of your opponent's monsters. During the turn this card is activated, one monster on your side of the field may attack.  
  
Dian Keto the Cure Master: MAGIC/Desc: Increase your life points by 1000.  
  
Archfiend Cyber Soldier: ****/2100/1400/ Cyber Type  
  
Electron Magnet: MAGIC/Desc: Increase all CYBER type monsters attack power on your side of the field by 500.  
  
Rain of Mercy: MAGIC/Desc: Increases the life points of both players by 1000 points.  
  
Ring of Destruction: TRAP/Desc: Destroy 1 face-up Monster Card and inflict Direct Damage equal to the destroyed card's ATK to the Life Points of both you and your opponent.  
  
Curse Transfer: TRAP/Desc: Change the target of a trap card to a target of your choice. If the target is not compatible, destroy this card.  
  
Mercy: MAGIC/Desc: This card can only be activated when your opponent has no monsters on the field. Name one monster. If your opponent has the monster in his or her hand, deck, or graveyard, immediately special summon the card to the field in face up attack position. 


	23. The Black Gate Test, Part VII: The Last ...

Disclaimer: See Chapter 22 for details  
  
Chapter 23: The Black Gate Test, Part VI: The Last Turn  
  
"Now I'll summon King's Knight (1600/1400) in attack mode! Then, I will activate this magic card, riding the game of your cyber monsters Damien! For my magic card, Extinction, allows me to remove all of your cyber monsters from play!" he announced while all cyber related monster cards from Damien's hand, deck, and graveyard instantly disappeared. Following that, Damien's two remaining defenses on the field dissolved away, leaving almost a blank field.  
  
"King's Knight attack!" commanded Yugi as the monster struck vertically at Damien. (D's LP: 450)  
  
Joey drew. "Now I summon the all mighty..." he began, (Time Wizard...) he thought, noticing the card he drew. "Well it'll work! Go Time Wizard (500/400) and attack his life points directly!" commanded Joey as the monster unleashed a rather weak stream of purple energy headed straight for Damien.  
  
"And we win!" Joey declared.  
  
"Tell me, what is like to be stupid? Reverse trap card, the almighty Mirror Force, reflecting your attack directly at both of your monsters!" he snickered, as the purple energy was reflecting, knocking out King's Knight and Time Wizard.  
  
"Seeing as how it's my turn, I'll summon Quick Leech (500/1200) in attack mode! Quick Leech attack Joey's life points directly!" he commanded as the monster charged at Joey and struck him. (J's LP: 3600).  
  
"And now I can discard a card from my hand to switch my Quick Leech into defense mode." He added, as his monster shifted positions. "Finally, I'll set two cards face down and that will end my turn."  
  
Yugi drew. "I call forth Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress (1400/1200) in attack mode! Attack his Quick Leech!" he commanded as the monster charged up a fireball.  
  
"Which will activate my trap known as Torture Wheel!" he happily announced as a demon's wheel appeared and trapped the dragon. "As you may already know, my trap card keeps your monster from attacking me and defending you! Plus, you lose 500 life points per turn as long as my trap remains on the field!" he announced as the dragon screeched. Yugi set a card before ending his turn.  
  
Joey drew. (Ok, I've got some pretty good cards here. Maybe I can use these in a combination to bring out one of my chief cards!) he thought, studying his hand. "I summon Magical Scientist (300/300) in defense mode! Then, using its ability, I can sacrifice 1000 of my life points to summon a fusion card from my fusion deck! The card I choose is the mighty Flame Swordsman (1800/1600)!" he sprung as his favorite monster stood right in front of him. Joey looked directly at Yugi.  
  
"Yugi...if that face down card is a card only to work on fusion monsters, I need you to use it now." He said.  
  
(But my face down card is De-Fusion. It would separate Joey's monster and allow him to summon the fusion card needed for it, but he doesn't even have those in his graveyard...) Yugi thought, worrying if Joey's move was the wisest. But he did trust his friend and hoped his plan would work.  
  
"I activate De-Fusion!" Yugi announced while Damien wondered what the team's strategy would be. But, his face down card would protect him if things got too grueling. Anyway, Joey's monster returned to his fusion deck in an array of purple light.  
  
"Thanks Yugi! Now I can activate, Major Upgrade!" Joey declared as the Magical Scientist became coated in metal, and his ATK and DEF went to 600.  
  
"Wow." Damien tiredly stated.  
  
"Not only does this card double my monster's attack, it also raises its level by 2!" he announced.  
  
"Once again....wow." Damien said.  
  
"Finally, I activate Metamorphosis!" he declared as the magic card appeared and Magical Scientist vanished. Flame Swordsman once again reappeared on the field.  
  
"Heh." Damien spat.  
  
"But I'm not completely done! Now I activate Salamandra, juicing up Flame Swordsman's attack power to 2500! Go, Flame Swordsman and attack his Quick Leech with Salamandra Flame Strike!" Joey commanded as the swordsman flung its sword at the monster, incinerating it with the flaming dragon on its end.  
  
Damien drew. "I'll place one card face down, summon a monster in defense mode, and end my turn."  
  
Yugi drew. (Y's LP: 700) "I'll set one card face down as well, and then summon Mystical Elf (800/2000) to defend my life points!" he bravely announced though things weren't going his way.  
  
Joey drew. "I'll set a card on the field first. Now then, Flame Swordsman attack and destroy whatever he set out for us!"  
  
Damien instantly responded. "Sure you can destroy it?" he announced as a pink melon flipped from the card, smiling at Joey's attack. The attack landed, but the monster wasn't destroyed. (300/500)  
  
"What happened?? Your monster has a weak 500 defense power, 5 times less than that of my Flame Swordsman..." he began, scanning the field. "And you didn't activate any face down cards... What did you do??" he questioned nervously.  
  
"Well then, allow me to introduce you to a monster you can never destroy! This little creature is known as the Marsh Melon! And, since you attacked my Marsh Melon, you lose 1000 life points!" he happily added. (J's LP: 2600)  
  
Damien drew. "Now I summon another card in defense mode, and activate Ancient Magic Revival! This card allows me to activate one magic card from my graveyard, namely Machine Replication Factory summoning two more Marsh Melons (300/500) in defense mode! I think I'll end my turn from here." He declared, laughing.  
  
It was possibly Yugi's last turn. (Y's LP: 200) (Finally a card I can use!) he smiled. "I'll sacrifice Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress to summon Black Magician Girl (2000/1700)!" he announced as the monster disappeared along with Torture Wheel and the Black Magician Girl flew onto the field in her usual anime appearance, lighting up parts of her body before she was fully revealed.  
  
"Black Magician Girl, attack the face down monster!" commanded Yugi, pointing at her target. She instantly sent a stream of pink heart ribbons striking the card, revealing a small defending zombie monster.  
  
"You've attacked Spirit Reaper (300/200), another one of my monsters who will never be destroyed in battle!" he snickered, as his monster easily avoided the attack.  
  
Joey drew. "I'll summon Skilled Swordsman (1800/1500) in attack mode, set one card face down and end my move."  
  
Damien drew. "Fine by me, because now I can sacrifice Spirit Reaper and one Marsh Melon to summon the Masked Beast Death Guardius! (3300/2500)" he announced as his three-masked, four clawed monster lashed from its card, ready to cut any opposition to ribbons. "Now my Masked Beast Death Guardius, attack his pathetic Skilled Swordsman!" he commanded as the demon monster leapt at its target.  
  
"Hold up!" Joey called. "Reverse trap card, Magic Arm Shield, which will let me snatch one of your monsters and let it block my monsters!" he explained as a (whatever its called...) came out of the card, snatching a Marsh Melon and letting it harmlessly absorb the blast.  
  
"And because you attacked a Marsh Melon, you lose 1000 life points, and by my math, you lose!" happily declared Joey.  
  
"Now it's my turn to reveal a surprise, The Spell Absorbing Life! I gain 400 life points for each effect card on the field, so by my calculations I'll gain 2000 life points thanks to those 5 monsters! (Black Magician Girl, Marsh Melon x2, Masked Beast Death Guardius, Skilled Swordsman) Then the damage will be deducted from me! (D's LP: 1450)  
  
"Oh well, I'm still dominating the field with a monster with over 3000 attack points. So, I'll set 2 cards face down to keep you wondering and end my turn." He stated.  
  
Yugi drew. (I wonder why Damien did that. I don't have any set cards, and my Black Magician Girl is in attack mode. He's concentrated on no one but my friends. Why?? I bet he wants to face me in the end. That's it! He wants to destroy my confidence by destroying my friends! Well that won't happen, if I just believe, I can win!!) thought Yugi.  
  
"I'll set a card face down; summon the Recruitment Soldier (1800/400) in defense mode, who lets me automatically summon a monster with less attack points than his. The card I choose is Giant Soldier of Stone (1300/2000) also in defense! Then I'll set two cards face down, switch my Black Magician Girl into defense mode and end my turn!" he declared.  
  
Joey drew. (Foolish Burial...) he thought. "Well, I'll activate my monster's special ability! I can discard this card from my hand to trigger Skilled Swordsman's effect!" he announced as the swordsman's sword lit up in purple flames. The monster then ran up at Masked Beast Death Guardius, and phased its sword through it. The demon growled, and Damien saw its attack points lower (MBDG: 1500/2500)  
  
"What is this?" he asked, shocked.  
  
"Easy." Joey responded. "See by discarding that card from my hand, your monster automatically loses the number of attack points my Skilled Swordsman has. Now it has nothing to attack on the field!" he laughed.  
  
"You may have weakened my monster, but I am about to strengthen my hand with my trap, Card of Last Will! Since you weakened my monster's attack strength, I can draw 5 new cards, giving me a fresh new hand!" he snickered.  
  
"Oh well, I don't care..." Joey responded. "Flame Swordsman, attack the Masked Beast Death Guardius!" he announced.  
  
"Joey wait!" sprang Yugi, but it was too late. The dragon had already incinerated the beast. (D's LP: 450)  
  
"And that's the end of that card!"  
  
"But the beginning of its effect." Coolly responded Damien, sort of happy at his monster's disposal. "For destroying my monster has left behind the Mask of Remnants, which allows me to shuffle my deck, but more importantly, I can gain control of one of your monsters! Skilled Swordsman come to me!" he burst as a demon mask flew onto the swordsman's face and he floated over to Damien's side of the field. He chuckled and drew.  
  
"Now I'll activate your, or should I say my, swordsman's ability!" he announced as the monster's sword charged up and he slashed through Flame Swordsman (Flame Swordsman: 700/1600)  
  
"Now Skilled Swordsman, attack the Flame Swordsman!" he commanded as the sword charged red and the swordsman thrust it in the ground, sending a line of red fire instantly at the Flame Swordsman, annihilating him. (J's LP: 1500)  
  
Yugi drew. "I'll activate my Altar for Tribute trap card, sacrificing my Recruitment Soldier to activate its magic, increasing my life points by 1800!" (Y's LP: 2000) "Secondly, I'll switch Black Magician Girl into attack mode! Black Magician Girl, attack Skilled Swordsman!" he commanded.  
  
"You think I'm that stupid? Reverse trap, Shift!" he declared as the pink heart with ribbons was redirected from the swordsman to Marsh Melon, who harmlessly absorbed the attack.  
  
"And because you've attacked Marsh Melon, you lose 1000 life points!" he declared.  
  
"Not quite." Replied Yugi. "For I can activate the magic card, Pulse Wave! Instead of the 1000 damage going to me, I can let it go to one of my monsters, and I'll choose Giant Soldier of Stone!" he announced as the monster shrunk in size. (Giant Soldier of Stone: 300/2000)  
  
Joey drew. "(Ok...so I've gone from the top to the bottom in one turn. One direct attack and I'm finished...) he thought, studying the cards in his hand.  
  
"I'll summon Armored Lizard (1500/1200) in attack mode, set one card face down and end my turn." He declared.  
  
Damien drew. "Do you honestly believe you're going to beat me with THAT trick? You're just bluffing. I know you don't have a trap set! Skilled Swordsman, attack his pathetic lizard now!" he commanded as the monster charged the sword and rose it to strike in the ground, when suddenly a chain and a boomerang wrapped around the swordsman who was incapable of moving.   
  
"Maybe you ought to check again! Not only can your monster not attack or even move, but my Armored Lizard gains 500 attack points!" he explained as his monster's attack points shot up to 2000.  
  
"Armored Lizard, counter attack!" he commanded as the lizard, holding the chain in one hand, sliced the swordsman into nothing. (D's LP: 250)  
  
Damien drew. (This will definitely help!) "I activate the magic card, Chosen One!" he declared, while setting three cards on the field. "Now, I think I'll let Joey here decide which card to pick..." he stated, as Joey hesitated.  
  
After a while, Damien got bored. (Oh God, please hurries up...), and finally, Joey spoke.  
  
"I choose the card on the right!" he announced, pointing to his decision.  
  
Damien laughed as the card flipped up, revealing to be Guardian Angel Joan (2800/2000). She flew from her card onto the field.  
  
"Well then, Guardian Angel Joan, attack pitiful lizard and wipe him out of this duel!" he commanded as the fairy charged up a white blast, sending it sweeping across the field, colliding with Joey's monster, and destroying it. (J's LP: 700)  
  
"And because my guardian angel destroyed a monster, I gain Armored Lizard's original attack points to my life points!" he happily added. (D's LP: 1750)  
  
(Oh no, this is bad) thought Yugi. (Damien will keep raising his life points and lowering Joey's!) he added to himself while he drew.  
  
"I summon Queen's Knight (1500/1600) in defense mode, and I switch the Black Magician Girl into defense mode as well!" he announced as his magician girl switch positions, protecting herself with her wand, while a female knight raised her shield to defend herself.  
  
Joey drew. (Ok, this might work...) he thought. "I activate the magic card, Roulette Spider!" he declared as a spider attached with an arrow materialized on the field. "You see, as soon as I pay half my life points, this card blindfolds the strongest monster on the field, which is your Guardian Angel!" he enlightened as his life points lowered, and his monster attached onto her face. (J's LP: 350)  
  
"So what happens?" Damien questioned.  
  
"Well, this card will force your monster to attack something, whether it's a monster, or you, me, or Yugi directly. Well, as soon as you tell it to stop!" he added as the monster began twirling around in a circle.  
  
After a while, Damien became bored, and a little dizzy. "Stop!" he called as his monster's turns became slower and less frequent. The monster ended up stopping before a Marsh Melon.  
  
"No..." Damien yelled, while his fairy launched a white sphere at the monster, not even scratching its surface. (D's LP: 750)  
  
"To finish my move, I'll set a card face down.'  
  
Damien drew without even looking at his card. "Goodbye" was his only word. "Attack!" he commanded his guardian angel as it launched its signature white energy sphere, hurling it towards Joey.  
  
"Triggering my trap card!" Joey sprung, along with his mystery card, revealed to be Chasm of Spikes. Guardian Angel Joan's energy sphere was instantly canceled, and she fell into a spike pit, shattering by the tearing metal.  
  
"Plus, you lose one quarter of your monster's attack points!" cheerfully added Joey, as Damien watched his score lower. (D's LP: 50)  
  
"And you're almost out of here!" Joey stated.  
  
"Check again." Damien thought.  
  
Yugi drew. "I'll sacrifice Giant Soldier of Stone, to summon Jack's Knight (1900/1200)! I'll end my move from here."  
  
(Yugi isn't really giving me the defense I need...) thought Joey while drawing a card. "I'll summon Iron Knight Gearfried (1800/1600) in defense! Another set card and then I'll end my turn!" he exclaimed.  
  
Damien drew and chuckled. "Finally I can wipe you out! Because prepare for your unfortunate exit! Watch as I activate Weak Revival to resummon a monster that I discarded from way back in this duel, when you used Card Destruction!" he laughed, pointing at Yugi.  
  
"Now I resummon Newdoria (1200/800) he announced as an ugly demon appeared on the field. Secondly, I activate the magic card, Secret Pact!" he announced as a card appeared on the field, but no action took place.  
  
"Newdoria, attack the Jack's Knight he commanded, as the demon dove at the knight, who smote the monster before it could unleash its attack.  
  
"That means you lose!" Yugi pointed out, but both he and Joey were shocked to see Damien's score unchanged.  
  
"You clearly should have lost 700 life points, cutting you past zero!" he exclaimed, confused until he noticed Secret Pact's edges glowing yellow.  
  
"You used your magic card!" Yugi declared.  
  
Damien stopped laughing to speak. "Why yes I did, and instead of receiving that battle damage, I can easily discard one card from my hand to reduce it to zero! And it wasn't even a Kuriboh!" he snickered.  
  
"But now I will sacrifice my beautiful angel Joan along with a Marsh Melon to summon this!" he declared, slapping a card on the field. Both monsters glowed into yellow essences, and then merged together to create a bright array of light. From the light burst forward a metal soldier, covered in thick, but powerful armor, carrying a giant diamond blade sword, with a demonish orange glow in his eyes.  
  
"Meet one of my best warriors, EMS the Infinite (2500/2000)!" he snickered as the light died down, leaving the giant monster. "Oh and did I forget to mention Newdoria's effect? I can destroy one monster on the field, and I think I'll take out that Gearfried the Iron Knight!" he smiled as the monster disappeared from the field without a trace.  
  
"Then, I'll activate Surprise Attack from the Darkness, allowing me to go through another Battle Phase! Go EMS the Infinite, wipe out Joey and his life points!" he commanded while the monster raised his sword and struck directly....at a goat. Damien looked and was surprised to find 4 furry goats on the field, along with a magic card. He automatically recognized the card as Scapegoat, recovered his anger and then smiled.  
  
"Even though, every time my EMS the Infinite destroys one of your card, its attack is instantly raised by 700 points!" he explained as his monster's attack rocketed to 3200, ready for next turn. He set two cards and ended his move.  
  
Yugi drew. "I'll pass this turn."  
  
(Wow Yugi.) Joey thought. "Now I'll set one card and end my turn!" he exclaimed.  
  
Damien drew. "I'm ready for you Joey! I'll activate Mystical Space Typhoon to wipe out your card!" he declared as a twister sucked up a Trap Hole. Now go EMS the Infinite, attack another Scapegoat!" he commanded as the same smash came slicing a goat to ribbons, and further increasing the monster's power to 3900.  
  
Yugi drew. (I need Damien to attack me!) he thought. "I'll pass this time around as well."  
  
(Joey is getting boring. I think I'll focus on Yugi now. Anyway, a duelist of Joey's capacity will be easily to eliminate at any given moment.) Damien thought, his eyes shifting to Joey.  
  
Joey passed his turn as well. Damien drew. "I think I'll make things more hopeless for you! I activate my face down card, Battery Recharge, to raise my life points by 3900, equal to my EMS the Infinite's strength!" he announced (D's LP: 3950)  
  
"But for fun, let's through in the magic card, Spirit Sword!" he announced as EMS the Infinite's sword disappeared, and was replaced with a heavy red and black aura emitting sword. It may have been smaller, but it was much more destructive.  
  
"My almighty sword is so powerful; there is only one in the entire world! Now witness one of its destructive powers! EMS the Infinite, attack and destroy his Black Magician Girl!" he commanded as the monster swiped directly in front of him, sending out a red and black energy wave, shattering the magician girl in one second.  
  
"And now my monster gains 700 more attack points!" he added as his monster's attack rose to 4600. "However, there's more! Since my monster was equipped with the all powerful Spirit Sword, every time I destroy a monster, half of its attack points will be added to my EMS the Infinite! I'll end my move." concluded Damien as his monster's attack rose to 5750.  
  
Yugi drew. "I'll activate Move Dead to reposition my Black Magician into my hand!" he exclaimed as the card spat out from his graveyard which he added to his hand. "I end my move from here."  
  
Joey drew. "I'll end my turn as well. Your monster may have 5750 attack points, but my monsters have 0 attack, so I won't be raising your monster's attack points more than 700.  
  
Damien drew, and smirked at the card he drew. "No, your demise is now! Behold, as I activate Token Thanksgiving!" he declared, chuckling evilly. Joey's three monsters turned into blue rain, raining upon Damien.  
  
"Joey!" Yugi screamed.  
  
"Yes, Joey!" Damien responded. "Not only will my mystic magic card destroy all 3 of Joey's remaining Scapegoat, but it will raise my life points by 2400!" (D's LP: 6350)  
  
"However, that leaves your field completely blank! You lose Joey!" he snickered. "EMS the Infinite, end this match for Joey. Attack his life points directly!" he instructed while his monster lashed out with its sword, knocking Joey flat on his back. (J's LP: 0)  
  
"Joey!" Yugi cried once more.  
  
"Loses." Damien finished, snapping his fingers. Joey disappeared in the exact same fashion as his friends previously. Yugi was all alone now.  
  
"Well Yugi." Damien began, shifting his attention. "Seems like you're all alone now. Just you and I, and soon you'll be finished as well!!"  
  
"Try again because I am not losing this duel. Especially to you!" Yugi ferociously cried.  
  
"You think so? I've done away with all 5 of your "friends", and soon I'll be rid of you!" Damien laughed.  
  
"And I've thought of a better surprise for you!" he added as his face down card flipped up, and an eye with snakes surrounding it came from it. "It's the Gorgon's Eye! And as you should know, my trap will turn any monster you set into stone! And if you set it in attack mode, you'll lose automatically! I'll keep cutting down your life points to nothing!" he laughed.  
  
Yugi heart raced. He put all his faith into his next card. "I'll activate Card of Sanctity, making us both draw until we have 6 cards!" he exclaimed, noticing his cards: Magical Dimension, Magical Academy, Reclaim of Magic, Magical Shield, and his **Egyptian God Card: The Saint Dragon- God of Osiris.**  
  
Yugi gasped at his draw while Damien was pleased with his as well. (I've got it all planned out. If Yugi attacks me, I'll use my face down Command Silencer to negate it. Then, on my turn I'll activate Newdoria's Revenge, which lets me destroy one monster on Yugi's field! If he sets anything, Harpie's Feather Duster will take his magic and traps out, while my Destructive Wave will annihilate his monsters. Then I'll win as soon as I destroy his life points! I can't lose!) he thought, ready to win as soon as Yugi spoke those magic words "I end my turn."  
  
But Yugi spoke something different. "This is the end of this duel! First, I'll activate Reclaim of Magic, and by discarding 2 magic cards from my hand, I can reclaim a magic card from Mai's graveyard, the Harpie's Feather Duster!" he exclaimed as his magic card formed a twister, sweeping away all of Damien's magic and trap cards.  
  
"However there's more! I can activate Magical Shield which will let me activate one magic card from the graveyard, at the cost of discarding all magic cards from my hand next turn! So I'll take your Raigeki!" he exclaimed as thunderbolts came crashing on the field.  
  
"Think again! By paying 2500 life points (D's LP: 3850) I can activate Holy Elf's Shield, shielding my monster from your magic effect! However, my monster resorts back to its original attack standards (2500/2000), but that's still stronger than any of your cards!" he snickered and explained.  
  
"Not quite." Responded Yugi. "Watch as I sacrifice the Black Magician Girl, Jack's Knight and Queen's Knight to summon a beast to devastate your monster and your life points! I summon Saint Dragon- God of Osiris!" he burst as Damien gasped. The sky became black and thunderous. Lightning flashed around the field and the winds picked up. A long black figure came down from the sky. It was revealed to be a dragon with a snakelike body. It had raging yellow eyes and two mouths. It roared a roar picking up winds from its top mouth.  
  
"This is the end! The end of all the suffering! You will now pay for all the damage you've caused."  
  
"Check again Yugi! Your "almighty" dragon has 1000 attack points!" Damien laughed.  
  
"No! You need to check again! Check my face down card! Spirit Gathering! For the price of 1000 life points (Y's LP: 1000) I can draw six cards, for the price of discarding my hand at the end of the turn and skipping my next draw phase! But there is no next turn! For now I hold 7 cards in my hand! So my dragon has 7000 attack points, more than enough to finish you! My dragon is able to attack and you, Damien, are through! Go, Saint Dragon-God of Osiris, attack his EMS the Infinite, and wipe him out! Thunder Force!" he commanded as the monster unleashed a gigantic blast of lightning, completely disintegrating the metallic warrior. (D's LP: 0) However when the mighty blast died down, Damien was gone, but Joey, Kevin, Kaiba, Mai, and Tea all reappeared in the same spot where they left.  
  
"Yugi you won!" cried Joey. Yugi smiled. A portal opened up, and they all jumped through, finding themselves back into the real world. Everyone stretched and walked around the base. Yugi discovered a note. It read:  
  
Due to some "circumstances" the Silver Tournament has been canceled. A new tournament is set to begin soon, so prepare to head back to dueling.  
  
Sincerely,  
  
The Silver Tournament Crew  
  
"Stupid fools..." thought Kaiba, canceling a Duel Monsters Tournament!  
  
But afterwards, everyone left the base, headed on Kaiba's helicopter back to Domino, and Kaiba went his separate way. Yugi was wondering what the new tournament would be like, and what kind of opponents he would face. He wondered if this would bring the gang closer together, and if more secrets of the past would be revealed. (We'll just have to see...) he thought, lying on his bed. He fell asleep thinking (I'll be ready to have a new adventure...), whatever it may be.  
  
CARDS PLAYED   
  
King's Knight: /1600/1400/ Warrior Type/Desc: If this card and "Queen's Knight" are face up on the field, you may special summon one "Jack's Knight" to the field from your hand or your deck.  
  
Extinction: MAGIC/Desc: Discard one card from your hand. Declare one type of monster. Both you and your opponent remove from play any monsters of that type from the field, either hand, deck, or graveyard.  
  
Time Wizard: /500/400/ Spellcaster Type /Desc: Toss a coin and call Heads or Tails. If you call it right, your opponent's monsters on the Field are destroyed. If you call it wrong, your own monsters on the Field are destroyed and you lose Life Points equal to half the total ATK of the destroyed monsters. This card can be used only during your own turn, once per turn.  
  
Mirror Force: TRAP/Desc: Activate this card when your opponent attacks. Destroy all face up attack position monsters on your opponent's side of the field.  
  
Quick Leech: /500/1200/ Insect Type /Desc: At the end of a turn in which this card does Battle Damage to your opponent; you can discard 1 card from your hand to change this card's mode. Also, this card can attack during the first turn.  
  
Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress: /1400/1200/ Dragon Type  
  
Torture Wheel: TRAP/Desc: Select 1 monster. As long as this card remains face-up on the field, the selected monster cannot attack or change its battle position except by effect of a Magic, Trap, Effect Monster Card. This card inflicts 500 points of Direct Damage to your opponent's Life Points during each of your Standby Phases. When the selected is destroyed or removed from the field, this card is also destroyed.  
  
Magical Scientist: /300/300/ Spellcaster Type /Desc: Pay 1000 Life Points to Special Summon 1 Level 6 or lower Fusion Monster from your Fusion Deck in face-up Attack or Defense Position. That Fusion monster cannot attack your opponent's Life Points directly, and is returned to your Fusion Deck at the end of your turn.  
  
Flame Swordsman: /1800/1600/Warrior/Fusion Type /Desc: "Flame Manipulator" "Masaki the Legendary Swordsman"  
  
De-Fusion: QUICK PLAY MAGIC/Desc: Return 1 Fusion Monster Card on the field to the Fusion Deck. In addition, if all the Fusion-Material monsters for the returned Fusion Monster Card are in your Graveyard, you can Special Summon them all to the field in face-up Attack or Defense Position.  
  
Major Upgrade: EQUIP MAGIC/Desc: The equipped monster raises its level by 2, and its attack points double. The equipped monster cannot attack unless you discard your entire hand. Once the equipped monster attacks, your battle phase ends immediately.  
  
Metamorphosis: Offer 1 monster on your side of the field as a Tribute to Special Summon 1 Fusion Monster of the same Level in face-up Attack or Defense Position from your Fusion Deck. Monsters used for a Tribute Summon or that are offered as Tribute due to other card's effects are excluded.  
  
Salamandra: EQUIP MAGIC/Desc: A fire monster equipped with this card increases its attack by 700 points.  
  
Mystical Elf: /800/2000/ Spellcaster Type  
  
Marsh Melon: /300/500/ Fairy /Desc: Any monster that attacks this card incurs 1000 points of damage to its controller. Marsh Melon is not destroyed as a result of battle damage.  
  
Ancient Magic Revival: MAGIC/Desc: Activate one magic card from the graveyard, and remove it from play afterwards.  
  
Machine Replication Factory: PERMANENT MAGIC/Desc: While you have a Monster with an attack strength of 500 or less on the Field, by the effect of the Machine Replication Factory, you can Special Summon up to 2 of the same Monster from your deck to the Field.  
  
Black Magician Girl: /2000/1700/ Magician /Desc: Increase the ATK of this monster by 300 points for each "Black Magician" or "Magician of Black Chaos" in either player's Graveyard.  
  
Spirit Reaper: /300/200/ Zombie Type/ Desc: This monster is not destroyed as a result of battle at any time, although damage calculation applied normally. When this card is specially designated as the effect of a Magic, Trap or Effect Monster Card, this card is immediately destroyed. When this card attacks your opponent's Life Points directly 1 card randomly selected from your opponent's hand and discarded to the Graveyard.  
  
Skilled Swordsman: /1800/1500/ Warrior /Desc: Discard one card from your hand. Select a monster on the field. Until the end of the turn, that monster loses 1800 points from whichever mode it is in.  
  
Masked Beast Death Guardius: /3300/2500/ Beast Type /Desc: This monster may be special summoned by sacrificing two monsters. One of those two monsters must be "Melchid the Four-Face Beast" or "Grand Tiki Elder." When this monster is sent to the graveyard as a result of battle, it comes back as an equipment magic card after damage calculation. Equip 1 of your opponent's monsters with this card. As long as the monster is equipped with this card, you control the equipped monster. Also, when this card is activated as an equipment magic card, you may shuffle your deck.  
  
Magic-Arm Shield: TRAP/Desc: You may only activate this card when your opponent attacks. Select one face up monster on your opponent's side of the field. The attack may only target the selected monster.  
  
The Spell Absorbing Life: TRAP/Desc: Flip all face-down Defense Position Monster Cards on the field face-up. Flip Effects are not activated at this time. Increase your Life Points by 400 points for each Effect Monster Card on the field.  
  
Recruitment Soldier: /1800/400/ Warrior Type /Desc: When this card is normal summoned or special summoned you may summon one level 4 or lower monster with less attack points than this card in face up attack or defense mode.  
  
Giant Soldier of Stone: /1300/2000/ Rock Type  
  
Card of Last Will: TRAP/Desc: You may only activate this card when the attack points of one of your monsters is lowered. Draw 5 cards from your deck.  
  
Altar for Tribute: TRAP/Desc: Select 1 monster on your side of the field and send it to the Graveyard. Increase your Life Points by an amount equal to the original ATK of the monster.  
  
Shift: TRAP/Desc: You can activate this card when your opponent designates 1 monster on your side of the Field as the target of a Magic, Trap, or battle attack. Change the target to a different monster on your side of the field.  
  
Pulse Wave: TRAP/Desc: You may activate this card when you receive damage to your life points. Negate the damage, select one face up monster on your side of the field, and decrease its ATK equal to the damage you would receive.  
  
Armored Lizard: /1500/1200/ Reptile Type  
  
Kunai with Chain: TRAP/Desc: Select one face up monster on the field. As long as this card remains face up on the field, the selected monster may not attack or change battle positions. In addition, increase one face up attack position monster's attack by 500 points.  
  
Chosen One: MAGIC/Desc: Select 1 Monster Card and 2 non-Monster Cards from your hand. Your opponent randomly selects 1 of the 3 cards. If it is the Monster Card, it is immediately Special Summoned in face-up Attack or Defense Position and the remaining 2 cards are sent to the Graveyard. If it is not a Monster Card, all 3 cards are sent to the Graveyard.  
  
Guardian Angel Joan: /2800/2000/ Fairy /Desc: When this card destroys a monster and sends it to the Graveyard as a result of battle, increase your Life Points by an amount equal to the original ATK of the destroyed monster.  
  
Queen's Knight: /1500/1600/ Warrior Type  
  
Roulette Spider: MAGIC/Desc: Pay half your life points. The strongest face- up monster on the field randomly attacks a monster or player on the field. (I don't know...)  
  
Chasm of Spikes: TRAP/Desc: When your opponent attacks, destroy the attacking monster and do one fourth of the monster's attack strength as direct damage to your opponent's life points.  
  
Jack's Knight: /1900/1200/ Warrior Type  
  
Iron Knight Gearfried: /1800/1600/ Warrior Type/Desc: Any equip card equipped with this monster is automatically destroyed.  
  
Weak Revival: MAGIC/Desc: Revive one monster from your graveyard in face up attack mode, and decrease its attack by 1000.  
  
Newdoria: /200/800/ Demon /Desc: When this card is destroyed as a result of battle, select one monster on the field and destroy it.  
  
Secret Pact: CONTINIOUS MAGIC/Desc: As long as this card remains face up on the field, you may discard one card from your hand to negate the damage done to your life points by one monster. (excluding direct damage)  
  
EMS the Infinite: /2500/2000/ Machine Type /Desc: For each monster that this card destroys and sends to the graveyard, increase this monster's attack points by 700.  
  
Surprise Attack from the Darkness: MAGIC/Desc: During the End Phase, a player gets one more Battle Phase. Monsters that were Summoned or Special Summoned that turn can attack from the darkness.  
  
Scapegoat: QUICK PLAY MAGIC/Desc: When this card is activated, you cannot summon any monster in the same turn (including Flip Summon and Special Summon). Place 4 'Sheep Tokens' (Beast-Type/EARTH/1 Star/ATK 0/DEF 0) in Defense Position on your side of the field. The tokens cannot be used as a Tribute for a Tribute Summon.  
  
Mystical Space Typhoon: QUICK PLAY MAGIC/Desc: Destroy one magic or trap card on the field.  
  
Battery Recharge: TRAP/Desc: Increase your life points equal to the number of attack points the strongest monster on the field has.  
  
Spirit Sword: EQUIPMENT MAGIC/Desc: Every time the equipped monster attacks and successfully destroys a monster, increase its attack points by half of the destroyed monster's attack points. The equipped monster cannot be destroyed as a result of battle or by a magic, monster, or trap effect as long as this card is face up.  
  
Move Dead: MAGIC/Desc: Select one monster from your graveyard and place it in your hand.  
  
Token Thanksgiving: MAGIC/Desc: Destroy all tokens on the field. Increase your Life Points by the number of tokens destroyed x800 points.  
  
Gorgon's Eye: TRAP/Desc: Each time a monster in defense mode on your opponent's side of the field is destroyed, subtract half of the monster's defense points from your opponent's life points. Your opponent may not play any face-down defense monsters as long as this card remains on the field. Cards set before this card's activation are excluded.  
  
Card of Sanctity: MAGIC/Desc: Both players draw until they hold 6 cards in their respective hands.  
  
Reclaim of Magic: MAGIC/Desc: Discard 2 magic cards from your hand, to put one magic card from your graveyard back into your hand.  
  
Harpie's Feather Duster: MAGIC/Desc: Destroy all of your opponent's magic and trap cards on the field.  
  
Magical Shield: QUICK PLAY MAGIC/Desc: Activate one magic card from the graveyard. After its activation, place it back into the respective player's deck. The player's deck is then shuffled.  
  
Raigeki: MAGIC/Desc: Destroy all monsters on your opponent's side of the field.  
  
Holy Elf's Blessing: QUICK PLAY MAGIC/Desc: Select one face up monster on your side of the field. Until the end of the turn, the selected monster cannot be destroyed by magic and trap effects. You may pay 2500 life points from your hand during your opponent's turn.  
  
Saint Dragon- God of Osiris: /X000/X000/ Divine Beast/ Desc: Each time your opponent summons or special summons a monster, if the Monster is in attack mode, its attack strength is reduced by 2000. If in defense mode, its defense strength is reduced by 2000, but if that Monster has a defense strength of 2000 or less, it is destroyed instead. X stands for the number of cards in your hand.  
  
Spirit Gathering: MAGIC/Desc: Pay 1000 life points. Draw 6 cards from your deck. At the end of the turn, discard your hand. Skip your next draw phase. 


	24. A New Challenge

Disclaimer: See Chapter 23 for details  
  
**Chapter 24: A New Challenge**  
  
The sun shone on a bright Saturday morning. The gang was hanging around the game shop, just watching cartoons and discussing Duel Monsters. A letter slipped through the mail slot, so Yugi went to find out what it was. It had a reference to Duel Monsters, so the gang though it might be a challenge, or a tournament invitation. And sure, enough it was one, but it was a holographic projector. A familiar voice and face appeared on the screen, Kaiba's.  
  
"Greetings, duelist. You have been invited to partake in KaibaCorp's third duel monsters tournament to date: The Tri-KC World Grand Prix. The tournament will take place at the city of Domino, and the finals will be at KaibaCorp Tower, about 1 mile from Domino city limits. Few duelists have been invited to take place in this tournament, so it's sure to be one of Duel Monster's best tournaments ever thrown. For explanations on the rules and regulations of my tournament, report to City Hall at 7:15 tomorrow. That is all." The program said, and shut off.  
  
"Kaiba's back in business....oh boy." Remarked Joey.  
  
"I wonder why Kaiba decided to through a tournament. It's barely been a week since we escaped from the virtual world, again, so maybe Kaiba wants to...have fun? I don't know..." replied Yugi, who was extremely curious to enter. "But I wonder what enemy will be in this tournament. I mean, its not like this tournament will be "left alone," but maybe I can discover some answers tomorrow at Kaiba's little "meeting."  
  
"Yugi...I don't think we should even be bothered with Kaiba's little tournament" suggested Tea.  
  
"I wish it could be that easy, but Kaiba is my destined rival, and what if the world is at danger again?" replied Yugi.  
  
"Plus, we wouldn't want Kaiba gloating "Yugi was too afraid to enter" or "I'm the top duelist in the entire world!! Do we?" asked Tristan.  
  
"Well I guess not, so we'll just have to see. So, tomorrow at City Hall...I wonder who else will be entered" said Yugi, more of thinking out loud.  
  
**CITY HALL, TOMORROW NIGHT  
**  
The gang was the last to arrive at City Hall. Duelists were hanging around on the steps, in the main hallway and all along the street. Yugi saw some familiar faces including Mai, Kevin, and even Bakura had shone up. However, Yugi also noticed some of his tournament rivals: there was Insector Haga, insect champion, and Dinosaur Ryasuki, dinosaur champion. Among the crowd were some stunned duelists and others seemed elated. However, at 7:15 all the lights were dimmed as several KaibaCorp. blimps were seen floating on the skies. On them were extravagant designs, and the TV screen showed the face of none other than Kaiba himself.  
  
"Duelists!" he declared, putting an end to the seemingly incessant chattering. He cleared his throat and continued on. "Duelists, you have been gathered here today to enter one of the mightiest Duel Monsters tournaments ever thrown. However, before the dueling actually begins...there are a few....details I need to go over with you.  
  
First, there are only 75 duelists invited to participate. However, none of them, with one exception, should be easy to defeat. These duelists have gathered from around the world to win the title of the world's greatest duelist!" he began while everyone cheered at the ending part.  
  
"On the contrary..." he commenced while everyone became silent. "There are some rules and of course, what tournament would be complete without prizes? Now then, in this tournament there are no star chips or locator cards. Nothing that can keep up with your ranking to others. But, once you win a total of 6 duels, you are automatically qualified to enter the finals. There will be 8 spots in the finals, so that means you had better duel well, and quickly.  
  
"Next, there is the one downside of participating in this tournament. It's an all or nothing wager, on every single duel you participate in. In other words, lose one duel and you're out of this tournament for good! I have no time for worthless losers. So, you can win 5 duels, but should you lose your sixth, you lose it all!" he continued while some people shouted and nervously talked amongst themselves.  
  
"But, if one of _you_, surprisingly, wins this tournament you'll receive $50 million and a collection of extremely rare cards, including some you've never seen before!"  
  
So make sure you prepare well duelists, because in just 3 short days, my Tri KC World Grand Prix Tournament will begin!" he announced raising his hand up, as all the duelists in the crowd cheered.  
  
END  
  
A/N: Yeah, that was pretty short, but I just needed a small introduction for what's about to come! RR ya'll. 


	25. Into The Shadows, Part 1

Disclaimer: See Chapter 24 for details  
  
**Chapter 25: Into the Shadows, Part 1**  
  
The tournament had begun, and the gang was walking along. Yugi had already won 3 duels, the most yet, while Joey had managed to win one. Elsewhere, Bakura was trying to find an opponent for himself, and he didn't need to go far before he found one.  
  
Bakura found a man with a Duel Disk in an alley, who was dressed in an unusual outfit, but Bakura didn't care.  
  
"You there!" he burst, pointing at the man.  
  
"What, you punk?" he responded.  
  
"How dare you call me that! I challenge you to a duel!" he said, stating his challenge, and the man's look of anger became one of mischief.  
  
"Fine then! You may call me the Jack of Clubs!" he announced.  
  
"O...k, but lets turn up the stakes!" Bakura responded as purple and black fog enclosed the alley and the Jack of Clubs was intrigued by this. "We are now fighting a duel in the Shadow Realm! And once you lose, your soul will be trapped here forever!" he laughed while both players readied their Duel Disks. Both life point counters shot to 4000.  
  
"I'll take the first turn." Bakura rudely declared. "I'll summon Shadow Archer (1750/1900) in attack mode! Then I'll set one card face down to end my turn." He announced as his monster, completely made of shadows, readied a black and purple arrow.  
  
Jack of Clubs drew. "I'll set two cards face down and summon Executioner Makyura (1600/1200) in defense mode." He announced while his demon monster with 6 sharp, massive white claws put itself in a defensive stance.  
  
Bakura drew. (What a pathetic trap!) he thought. "Go Headless Knight (1450/1700) in attack mode! Headless Knight, attack his Executioner Makyura!" he commanded as his headless knight sliced and diced the demon monster.  
  
"You've activated Makyura's effect! Now I can activate this trap card from my hand, Physical Double! Now I can create a mirage of your Shadow Archer (1750/1900) to summon in defense mode! You won't be getting to my life points this turn!" the Jack of Clubs smirked as Bakura listened attentively.  
  
Bakura drew, and noticed the clone faded away. "Seems like you only had one turn to keep my monster around! Now go both of my monsters, and strike his life points directly!" he commanded.  
  
Jack of Clubs sighed. "Reveal face down card, Double Recoil!" he sprung as his trap flipped up. Two metal wires wrapped around Bakura's two monsters and electrocuted him. Four white ghosts emerged from the monster's souls and two of them struck Jack of Clubs, the other two, struck Bakura.  
  
"My magical trap will only let me receive half of the battle damage I would have received, but you get the other half!" he laughed as Bakura watched his life points lower. (**J's LP: 2400**) (**B's LP: 2400**)  
  
Bakura gasped at the turn of events while his opponent drew. "I'll summon Big Shield Guardna (100/2600) in defense mode and set one more card face down. That will end my turn."  
  
Bakura drew. "Now I'll sacrifice both of my creatures to summon a monster who will gain their power!" he stated.  
  
"Triggering a trap I set for you, Terror Strike! This card will zap the power of both of your monsters and add it to my life points!" Jack of Clubs responded as both monsters sizzled in smoke, and their attack dropped to 0 as Jack of Clubs' life points rose. (**J's LP: 5600**)  
  
Bakura growled, since there was a gaping hole in his move. "To summon Maju Garzett (0/0) in defense mode." He continued as his red evil demon appeared before him, using his hands to defend himself. "I'll end my move by setting a card face down."  
  
The shadows were beginning to take their toll on the Jack of Clubs. He began to lose his vision, but quickly recovered. "Ah, are the shadows beginning to wear you down? Don't worry; soon you'll become a permanent fixture of them!" Bakura remarked, seeing his opponent stumble.  
  
"I don't know what kind of duel you set up, but I'll defeat you all the same." He stated, drawing his card. "And if I keep drawing cards like this I will! I'll set one card face down, and summon Prank Master (1600/1300) in attack mode! Prank Master, attack his Maju Garzett!" he commanded as the monster magically created a spike pit under Maju Garzett, ready to swallow Bakura's defense up.  
  
"Hold on! Reveal trap card, Price of Destruction! For a simple 700 life points (**B's LP: 1700**) all fiend type monsters from your hand and deck will go to MY graveyard!" he coolly explained while the Jack of Clubs filtered through his deck and found 2, both of them being Mask of Darkness. Bakura then chuckled.  
  
"Seeing as how it's my move, I'll draw a card and then remove Headless Knight and your two monsters from my graveyard to summon this!" he declared, slapping a card onto the monster card zone. A black essence swooped across the field before materialized into a demon woman. "Dark Necrofear (2200/2800) has arisen. Dark Necrofear, attack his Prank Master!" commanded Bakura as the demon woman eyes opened wide and shot two red beams at him.  
  
"Activating yet another trap card of mine! A personal favorite, it's known as Mirror Force, reflecting your attack right back at your Dark Necrofear, obliterating her!" he happily declared as the two red beams hit a glass barrier, bouncing back at Dark Necrofear. The demon melted away.  
  
"By destroying Dark Necrofear, its effect is activated. Now it comes back as an equip card, and I can control your Big Shield Guardna!" He announced as Necrofear returned, possessing the warrior and dragging it to Bakura's side of the field.  
  
Jack of Clubs was unfazed while he drew. "So you took control of my monster. I'm that impressed. So I'll end my turn by switching Prank Master to defense mode." (Just do exactly what I need you to...) he thought, watching Bakura.  
  
Bakura automatically drew. "I'll summon The Portrait's Secret (1200/1500) in defense mode and end my move." He declared as a painting, followed by a demon sticking its head out of it appeared on Bakura's field.  
  
Jack of Clubs drew. (Come on...attack. Maybe this will help him fall into my trap)! "I activate Soul Restoration, which will allow all cards removed from the game to go into your graveyard!" he explained pointing at Bakura. Automatically, the three cards used to summon Dark Necrofear were replaced in the graveyard. "I'll end my turn from here."  
  
Bakura drew. (Why would he do that? The shadows must be taking their toll on him. And that's one mistake he will never afford to pay for!) he thought, studying his hand closely.  
  
"Now I activate, Raise Dead! This allows me to revive one monster from my graveyard!" he declared as Headless Knight from his graveyard slot. Then, I activate the magic card Fusion! Now I'll fuse together my Headless Knight and Ghost Count to summon this!" he announced as his monster cards appeared on the field, then merged together via a bright, illuminating magic.  
  
The result was a fiendish creature with a heavy sword, ready to slice anyone who dare cross his path. "Luckily for you," began Bakura "fused monsters are not able to attack during the turn they are summoned. So! I'll set this one card down to end my move." He announced while his creature groaned. "Meet my Ghost Duke (2000/1700)!"  
  
Jack of Clubs nervously drew. "Now I activate my trap card known as Cloning Device! This card allows me to summon 2 more Prank Masters (1600/1300) in attack mode! Then I'll sacrifice two of them so I may summon Trap King (2600/1500) in attack mode! Trap King, attack his Ghost Duke now!" he commanded as his monster magically made a spike coffin appear to slaughter his target. However, when the spike chamber disappeared, the monster was still remaining.  
  
"What happened? Your monster should be hanging from the spikes!" Jack of Clubs burst.  
  
Bakura chuckled. "Your monsters can never destroy my Ghost Duke! On the contrary, I do lose the same amount of life points I would have lost if my monster were destroyed." (**B's LP: 1100**)  
  
Bakura drew. "Also, I must pay 500 life points per turn to keep my Ghost Duke around! (**B's LP: 600**), but I think I'll do something more fun! Goodbye Ghost Duke!" he began as his monster faded back into the Shadow Realm.  
  
"And now prepare to meet an even stronger monster! I summon Diabound Carnal! (1800/1200)" he announced as his gray monster with a head and the body of a snake appeared before Bakura. Bakura laughed as his monster was revealed from the shadow around the duelists.  
  
"Ah, I can sense the fear in your eyes. And for good reason, for you should be even more fearful as I activate the magic card, Afterimage of the Ghost! Equipping this to my Diabound Carnal, now I'm able to summon a Doppler Diabound to the field!" he announced as the same image stepped out from the Shadow Realm.  
  
"My new monster has the same attack points as my Diabound Carnal (1800)! But wait! I think you should personally witness my new card's effect, so it will be that much painful!" he declared. Meanwhile, the Doppler Diabound possessed Trap King, which became surrounded with an aura, similar to the walls of the Shadow Realm. Jack of Clubs was astonished to witness the points of his monster dropping drastically. (Trap King: 800/1500)  
  
"What did your monster do?" Jack of Clubs stuttered.  
  
"He weakened your monster and Diabound Carnal will destroy it!" Bakura instructed as his monster gathered a stream of yellow energy, launching it at Trap King, wiping him out. Jack of Clubs just stood there, jaw opened, at how Bakura had effortlessly managed to defeat one of his strongest monsters. (**J's LP: 4600**)  
  
"Who are you? You're not any ordinary duelist! First, you summon this "Shadow Realm" place, and then you summon these all powerful demon creatures! Who are you!" he demanded to know.  
  
Bakura chuckled using his oh-so-satisfying chuckle. "Well what's the harm in letting you know? My name is Bakura. I am a thief, whose crimes date back to over 5,000 years ago."  
  
"A thief??" repeated the Jack of Clubs, interested in his history.  
  
"Did I stutter?" Bakura impatiently asked. "However, you won't tell anyone will you?" "What do you think? You think I'm working alone? My comrades will be pleased to hear this, just as soon as this duel is over!" he proudly declared.  
  
Once more, Bakura chuckled. "How quickly we seem to forget things! You think I just called up the Shadow Realm to give us a cooler dueling atmosphere? For you see, as soon as I win this duel, your mind and soul will be lost to wander the shadows for all eternity!"  
  
Jack of Clubs winced, but quickly regained command. (The only way I'll lose my mind and soul is if I lose this duel! I'm the Jack of Clubs! I have yet to lose a duel, and I won't begin to lose one today. No matter how evil my opponent may be.) He drew.  
  
"Too bad when you destroyed my Trap King, you activated his special ability! Now I can place 3 trap cards from my deck to my hand!" he declared while his deck spat out 3 cards, then shuffled itself automatically.  
  
"So I'll set these 3 cards face down, and switch my two Prank Masters into defense mode to end my turn." He announced as his instructions became reality.  
  
Bakura drew. "You're pathetic! Diabound Carnal, attack a Prank Master now!" commanded Bakura as his monster wound up another energy stream, annihilating one of the defending monsters.  
  
"You might as well give up now. There's no escaping your fate. When I'm through with you, you will wander this realm forever! No point in just waiting for the inevitable, give up." Teased Bakura, but Jack of Clubs drew. "Suit yourself" responded Bakura.  
  
"Now I can destroy you! I activate my trap card, Nightmare Wheel! This card encases your Diabound Carnal in my demonic wheel, which will drain 500 life points from you each turn! And you can only afford that for one turn "Bakura." Then, I'll sacrifice Prank Master to summon Fairy King Truesdale (2200/1700 500)." He declared while his monster digitized to be replaced with a king of plants carrying a staff to vanquish opposition.  
  
"Also, my Fairy King gains 500 attack points from his own ability!" he laughed as his monster's points rose to 2700. "This is it! You lose Bakura! Fairy King Truesdale, wipe out Doppler Diabound and win me this duel!" he commanded as his king raised his staff in the air, and long, pointy, thick vines came flying out of it, wrapping tightly around Doppler Diabound.  
  
"Activate trap!" sprung Bakura. "Enchanted Javelin will raise my life points by 2700!' (**B's LP: 3300**) However, the vines still trapped Bakura's monster and shattered it. (**B's LP: 2400**)  
  
Bakura growled, knowing he was at a setback. "Remember, you lose 500 life points, courtesy of Nightmare Wheel." Spoke Jack of Clubs.  
  
"Yeah I remember." Bakura mumbled. (**B's LP: 1900**) However, he then chuckled, upon seeing his draw. "I activate Remove Trap to destroy your Nightmare Wheel, and then I'll activate another Afterimage of the Ghost!" he laughed as his faithful Diabound Carnal broke free from the Nightmare Wheel, floating back to his proper place. Then, another Doppler Diabound emerged from the shadow behind Bakura.  
  
"Well, I expect you to know what happens next! Doppler Diabound, attach to his Fairy King Truesdale, and drain him of his attack points!" instructed Bakura, while his monster flew into the fairy king, and the same dark purple and black aura surrounded him as his attack shot down to 900.  
  
"Now that's he weak, Diabound Carnal, attack and destroy Fairy King Truesdale!" he commanded as his monster charged up his energy blast.  
  
"Reverse trap card, Negate Attack!" Jack of Clubs burst as the energy stream was absorbed by a vortex. Bakura growled, set one card, and ended his turn.  
  
Jack of Clubs immediately drew. "I summon Soul Tiger (0/2100) in attack mode!" he declared as a blue tiger emerged from the shadows.  
  
"Is there a reason you did that? Your monster has no attack points. However, if you want to lose, go ahead and surrender. This tactic is even more pathetic." Bakura replied.  
  
"I'll get the last laugh, thief boy, because I'm activating the magical Shield and Sword card swapping all monster's attack points with their defense points!" exclaimed Jack of Clubs while Bakura gasped.  
  
(Soul Tiger: 2100/0, Diabound Carnal: 1200/1800, Doppler Diabound 0/1800)  
  
"Soul Tiger, attack Diabound Carnal!" commanded Jack of Clubs as the monster leapt at Diabound Carnal, phasing through it with its razor-sharp claws. Diabound Carnal exploded on the spot. (**B's LP: 1000**). Jack of Clubs laughed. "Where's your prize monster now? Next turn, I'll finish you completely!" he smirked.  
  
To his surprise, Bakura laughed himself. "I knew you had a plan waiting to destroy my Diabound Carnal, that's why you've barely been making a move. You needed the right card, which in this case was Shield and Sword, and you've played right into my trap. The Shadow Realm has completely surrounded you and there's no way out!" he smirked.  
  
"Reveal my trap card, Revival Ouiju! This card can only be activated when one of my monsters is destroyed. Now I'm able to resummon a monster! So welcome back, my Diabound Carnal!" laughed Bakura. "Your assault did absolutely nothing! However, I will do much more! Reverse my second trap card, Mirror Wall Ouiju!" he smirked. Suddenly, Soul Tiger became encased in a glass structure and exploded inside it, while Diabound Carnal happened to be glowing a faint purple color.  
  
"What did you do??" questioned Jack of Clubs.  
  
"Relax. Your monster's perfectly safe...for now. All my trap simply did was increase its attack by half of Trap King's attack points." Bakura reassured as Diabound Carnal's attack raised to 3100. Jack of Clubs set two cards before ending his turn.  
  
(Your monster may be stronger than a Blue Eyes White Dragon, but my trap cards will break it, just as soon as you command it to attack...) smirked Jack of Clubs.  
  
Bakura just drew. (Let's see. He has one monster with 0 attack points on the field, and he has 5 face down cards. At least one of them must be a trap, and I have just the card to rid the field of them.) he thought. "I activate Anti-Magical Arrows!" sprung Bakura.  
  
"Don't think so!" responded Jack of Clubs. "Reverse trap, Anti-Magic Machine!" he announced as a large square machine appeared on the field. One of the Jack of Clubs' face down cards disappeared and the machine fired a fireball, incinerating Bakura's magic card.  
  
"What is this?" nervously asked Bakura.  
  
"My trap card will automatically destroy any magic card you try to activate. However, it comes with a price. Except, the price has no price! For reveal, Discard Scale!" he announced as his magic card revealed itself. "Now every time cards are discarded from my hand, I can draw the same amount!" he snickered.  
  
"Well then, have to take the risk. Diabound Carnal, attack Soul Tiger now!" Bakura commanded as the monster charged up its signature yellow energy stream.  
  
"Activate trap, The Regulation of Tribe!" Jack of Clubs called as several chains wrapped around the half-snake, and half-man monster of Bakura's, preventing it from attacking. Bakura growled, knowing of this card's effect. "I'll end my move from here. After all, you have no cards stronger than my Diabound Carnal."  
  
Jack of Clubs drew. "Actually, I have just the cards I need to defeat your Diabound Carnal! Just I need to wait one more turn. So, I'll set these three cards to finish my move and set Soul Tiger in defense mode." He instructed while all he declared during his move happened.  
  
Bakura drew while the chains rusted and freed his monster. "Now I'll activate Black Energy Fountain!" he exclaimed as a magical fountain appeared on his side of the field. "You see while my fountain is in play, all of my fiend monsters gain 1000 attack points!" he explained while some purple water rinsed itself over Diabound Carnal, increasing its strength to 2800.  
  
"Now my monster will be able to wipe out your pitiful, worthless defense!" Bakura teased. The Jack of Clubs gritted his teeth hard, he wanted to sock Bakura for all his insults, but he calmed down, as victory could be his in a matter of few moments. "Attack!" commanded Bakura.  
  
"You've fallen into the ultimate trap! Reveal trap card, Mechanical Magic Mirror!" he exclaimed as his magic card flipped up. "Now I am able to activate Raise Dead (Monster Reborn) from your graveyard!" he exclaimed while his card morphed into the Raise Dead card, instantly reviving Trap King in defense mode (1500).  
  
"I don't care! Continue your attack, Diabound Carnal!" Bakura said as the monster launched its yellow energy beam.  
  
"Activate set card, Negate Attack!" Jack of Clubs burst as the energy stream was absorbed into a vortex. Bakura angrily set a card, before ending his turn.  
  
"Are you ready?" joked Jack of Clubs. "Because now I sacrifice both of my monsters to summon Magical Absorber (2700/2350)!" he smirked as a cloud of smoke surrounded his monsters. When it dispersed, the two monsters were gone, only to be replaced by a strong magician carrying a silver staff whose face didn't show a hint of emotion, except superiority.  
  
"My new monster will gain 1000 attack points from your equip card!" Jack of Clubs added while his monster's attack rose to 3700.  
  
"Impossible!" remarked Bakura. "It only works on fiend monsters! Your magician is certainly not one!" he called.  
  
"However, my magician's special ability lets it gain the same amount of attack points it would gain if the equip card worked on it. It's all legal!" Jack of Clubs remarked. "So take this! Magical Absorber, attack Diabound Carnal now!" he commanded as his monster's staff rose into the air, creating 3 magic symbols. The magic symbols merged together to form a green blast of energy, coming down on Diabound Carnal.  
  
"You think I'm an amateur! Reveal, Ghost Shield!" Bakura responded as his trap flipped up. "And once I take Ghost Count from the graveyard...." He began, removing his card from the duel, "your attack has no impact!" he laughed as the attack hit a barrier, resulting in smoke, but no damage. Bakura laughed.  
  
"Now I can activate a magic card which will cause you to lose the shadow game! Prepare to take the game up a level!" Bakura smirked as he drew. "Activate magic card, Dark Sanctuary!" he laughed as his laughter echoed into the shadows surrounding them.

**CARDS PLAYED**   
  
Shadow Archer: /1750/1900/ Demon Type /Desc: Remove 2 demon type monsters from your graveyard to destroy one monster card on the field. This effect may only be used once per turn.  
  
Executioner Makyura: /1600/1200/ Warrior Type /Desc: During the turn this card is activated, the controller of this card may activate 1 trap card from his or her hand.  
  
Headless Knight: /1450/1700/ Fiend Type  
  
Physical Double: TRAP/Desc: You can only activate this card during your opponent's turn. Select 1 monster on your opponent's side of the field and Special Summon 1 "Mirage Token" in face-up Attack or Defense Position on your side of the field. The "Mirage Token" has the same Level Type, Attribute, ATK, and DEF as the selected monster. Destroy the "Mirage Token" at the end of the turn.  
  
Double Recoil: TRAP/Desc: Until the end of the turn, negate any attack. Subtract half of the battle damage you would have received for the entire turn to yourself, and the other half to your opponent.  
  
Big Shield Guardna: /100/2600/ Warrior Type  
  
Terror Strike: TRAP/Desc: Decrease the ATK of all your opponent's monsters to 0. Increase your life points by the same amount of points the monsters lost.  
  
Maju Garzett: /0/0/ Demon Type/ Desc: The ATK of this card becomes equal to the combined original ATK of the 2 monsters you offered as a Tribute to Tribute Summon this card.  
  
Prank Master: /1600/1300/ Spellcaster /Desc: You may discard one trap card from your hand or deck to place one trap card from your graveyard to your hand.  
  
Price of Destruction: TRAP/ Pay 700 life points. Declare one card type. Your opponent then searches his or her deck. Any monsters of the declared type are sent to this card's controller's graveyard.  
  
Dark Necrofear: /2200/2800/ Demon Type /Desc: This card can only be Special Summoned by removing 3 Fiend-Type monsters in your Graveyard from play. When this card is destroyed in battle or by your opponent's card effect, it is treated as an Equip Magic Card at the end of the turn. Equip 1 of your opponent's monsters with this card. As long as it is equipped with this card, you control the equipped monster.  
  
Mirror Force: TRAP/Desc: When an opponent's monster attacks, negate the attack and destroy all opponent's monsters in Attack position.  
  
The Portrait's Secret: /1200/1500/ Fiend Type  
  
Soul Restoration: MAGIC/Desc: All cards removed from the game return to the graveyard, under the control of the player who removed them.  
  
Raise Dead: MAGIC/Desc: Special summon one monster from either you or your opponent's graveyard in face up attack or defense position.  
  
Fusion: MAGIC/Desc: Fuse 2 or more monsters into a new fusion monster.  
  
Ghost Duke: /2000/1700/ Demon Type /Desc: This monster is never destroyed as a result of battle. Damage is still calculated as normal. Pay 500 life points to keep this monster during your standby phase. If you cannot, this card is destroyed.  
  
Cloning Device: TRAP/Desc: This card may only be activated when you have one monster on the field. You may special summon up to 2 more of the same card from your deck to the field.  
  
Trap King: /2600/1500/ Spellcaster Type /Desc: When this card is sent from the field to the graveyard, you may add 3 trap cards from your deck to your hand. Your deck is then shuffled. SEMI-LIMITED  
  
Diabound Carnal: /1800/1200/ Demon Type  
  
Afterimage of the Ghost: EQUIPMENT MAGIC/Desc: Equipping this card to a "Diabound Carnal" allows you to summon one "Doppler Token" to the field. The Doppler Token may subtract attack points equal to its own from one monster on the field per turn.  
  
Nightmare Wheel: TRAP/Desc: Select 1 monster. As long as this card remains face-up on the field, the selected monster cannot attack or change its battle position except by effect of a Magic, Trap, Effect Monster Card. This card inflicts 500 points of Direct Damage to your opponent's Life Points during each of your Standby Phases. When the selected is destroyed or removed from the field, this card is also destroyed.  
  
Fairy King Truesdale: /2200/1700/ Plant /Desc: As long as this card remains face up on the field, increase the ATK of all plant monsters on the field by 500.  
  
Enchanted Javelin: TRAP/Desc: When your opponents monster attacks, increase your life points by the attacking monster's ATK points.  
  
Remove Trap: MAGIC/Desc: Destroy one face-up trap card on the field.  
  
Negate Attack: TRAP/Desc: When your opponent attacks with a monster, negate the attack and make your opponent's Battle Phase end.  
  
Soul Tiger: /0/2100/ Beast Type  
  
Shield and Sword: MAGIC/Desc: For 1 turn, each face-up monster's original ATK becomes their original DEF and vice-versa. Monsters summoned after this card's activation are excluded.  
  
Revival Ouiju: TRAP/Desc: You may only activate this card when a monster is destroyed as a result of battle. Special summon one monster from your graveyard to the field in face up attack position.  
  
Mirror Wall Ouiju: TRAP/Desc: add 1 half of a destroyed monster's ATK into another monster on the field.  
  
Anti-Magical Arrows: MAGIC/Desc: None of your opponent's set magic and trap cards may be activated. Cards set after this card's activation are excluded.  
  
Anti-Magic Machine: CONTINIOUS TRAP/Desc: Negate the activation of a magic card and destroy it by discarding 2 cards from your hand. This effect may only be used once per turn (whether during yours or your opponents.)  
  
Discard Scale: CONTINIOUS MAGIC/Desc: Each time an effect forces you to discard from your hand, after discarding, you may draw the same amount of cards you just discarded.  
  
The Regulation of Tribe: TRAP/Desc: Select 1 Type of Monster. Any monster of the selected type cannot attack. To keep this card in effect, you must offer 1 monster from the Field as a Tribute at each of your Standby Phases. If you cannot, this card is destroyed.  
  
Black Energy Fountain: CONTINIOUS MAGIC/Desc: As long as this card remains face up on the field, increase the ATK of all demon type monsters by 1000 points.  
  
Mechanical Magic Mirror: TRAP/Desc: You may activate this card when your opponent attacks. Activate one magic card from your opponent's graveyard.  
  
Magical Absorber: /2700/2350/ Magician /Desc: If an equip card is face up on the field, increase this monster's ATK by the same amount of ATK points it would receive if the equip card were on this monster, even if it is not compatible.  
  
Ghost Shield: PERMANENT TRAP/Desc: Remove 1 Demon type monster from your graveyard to negate the attack of one of your opponent's monsters.  
  
Dark Sanctuary: FIELD MAGIC/Desc: This card's effect may only be activated when there is a Dark Necrofear in the graveyard. Once per turn, select one of your opponent's monsters, but do not let your opponent know which monster. If your opponent attacks with the selected monster, negate the attack, and subtract half of the selected monsters attack points from your opponent's life points, and increase your own life points by the same amount. Offer 1 monster on your side of the field as a tribute during your end phase. If you do not, this card is destroyed. This card's effect is negated if there is a face up "Dark Necrofear" on the field.


	26. Into The Shadows, Part 2

Disclaimer: See Chapter 25 for details  
  
**Chapter 26: Into the Shadows, Part 2**  
  
Bakura's magic card began to take effect. The walls of the Shadow Realm seemed to be replaced with a dark red background, such as if a battle had taken place there. Eyeballs popped out from the background in different sizes, and Bakura could see a small ghost floating in front of him that would bring him victory.  
  
"How do you like our new dueling atmosphere? Get used to it!" Bakura barked. The ghost flew into Magical Absorber, who winced, but the wince was unnoticed by Jack of Clubs.  
  
"Next, I'll summon The Gross Ghost of Fled Dreams (1300/1800) to the field, who I must offer to the Dark Sanctuary!" he explained while his dream eating demon appeared on the field, and then was absorbed into the walls of Dark Sanctuary.  
  
"But to make things worse for you, I activate Ouija Board!" smirked Bakura, as his card flipped up. A board with all the letters of the alphabet, then "goodbye" under them appeared from the card. The highlighter moved over to D, and then a ghostly writing of the letter D appeared above the board. "In just four more turns you will automatically lose! For once my final letters of the Ouija Board appear your soul will be property of the shadows!"  
  
Jack of Clubs began to sweat upon hearing this. He had four short turns until his opponent crushed him for good. He drew, but smiled upon seeing his card. "My deck not only contains powerful traps, but it also contains a monster I put in here just to crush your friend, Yugi! Activate the Black Magic Agreement!" he snickered as his deck emitted an aura. A Black Magician Girl card instantly appeared on the field. (2000/1700)  
  
"Now I can wipe out your life points!" laughed Jack of Clubs. (Even if that set card is a trap, I know it will work on one monster. So, now I have 2 monsters to destroy him!) "Magical Absorber, attack Bakura's life points directly!" he commanded as his magician began to raise his staff in the sky, but an evil white ghost flew out from the magician and struck Jack of Clubs in the chest.  
  
"You've unveiled another ability of my Dark Sanctuary! You so stupidly attacked with a possessed monster. For you see, once per turn I can possess one of your monsters. Each time you attack with the possessed monster, half of its attack points are subtracted from your total and added to mine!" Bakura laughed as the balance of life points changed. (**J's LP: 2700**) (**B's LP: 2900**)  
  
"So go ahead and attack me with your little girlfriend! I'll possess her too!" he threatened.  
  
"Black Magician Girl, attack his life points!" he commanded as the ribbon of pink hearts surrounded Bakura, weakening him. (**B's LP: 900**)  
  
Bakura drew and sighed a breath of relief at his draw. "Before things begin, I activate the "E" part of my Ouija Board!" he laughed as the highlighter moved from D to E, and the ghostly writing of E appeared next to D.  
  
"Secondly I'll activate the magic card, Stray Lambs! Now I am able to summon 2 Lamb Tokens (0/0) in defense mode on my side of the field! I'll then set one card face down, and sacrifice one of my Lamb Tokens to the Dark Sanctuary!" he declared as one scapegoat's essence merged with the walls of Dark Sanctuary.  
  
Jack of Clubs drew. "I'll activate the magical Spell Upgrade! This card raises Black Magician Girl's attack by 600!" he declared as his monster glowed in pink light, to the demise of the eyes of Dark Sanctuary. Her stats climbed to 2600/1700.  
  
"It's time to possess a monster" Bakura smirked. His ghost flew around him. (Let's see. Last turn I threatened to possess Black Magician Girl. That fool won't believe me, so it's her I'll possess. Plus, it really doesn't matter who I possess. My trap will make sure he attacks with the right one!) he smiled cleverly as his monster flew into the magician girl.  
  
"Now then! Magical Absorber, attack his lamb!" he commanded as his monster raised his staff in the air, and the green magical symbols combined.  
  
"Not on my watch!" Bakura called. "Reveal, Dark Spirit of the Silent!" he burst as his trap flipped up. A vanilla-orange colored ghost emerged from the card, racing to Magical Absorber. It flew by it, and the magical blast halted. The monster returned to its normal position.  
  
"As you see, my trap negates your monster's attack, but, it comes with much worse consequences!" he said, pointing at his ghost, who flew into Black Magician Girl. Instantly she raised her staff, and the evil ghost flew out, striking Jack of Clubs once more in the chest. (**J's LP: 1450**) (**B's LP: 2050**)  
  
"Now I once again am in control of this duel! Now I activate Spirit Letter A!" he declared as the highlighter raced from "E" to "A". Following that, the letter A appeared in ghostly writing next to E. Bakura smirked while he drew. "And I plan to stay in control, so I activate, Card of Sanctity, causing each of us to draw until we contain 6 cards in our hands." He explained naturally, as Jack of Clubs drew three cards, and Bakura drew 5.  
  
"So, I'm setting these two cards face down, to keep you guessing, and now I'll summon Grand Tiki Elder (1500/800) who I offer to Dark Sanctuary!" he added as his masked tiki monster appeared on the field, and was offered to the sanctuary. Bakura chuckled.  
  
Jack of Clubs was pretty fearful of what would happen once all 5 letters appeared, seeing as how he had never come in contact with the Ouija Board before or, in fact, Dark Sanctuary, and of course, the dreaded Shadow Realm. But he remained calm. Even if he should lose, which all odds pointed to, another of his clan would easily defeat Bakura and save his soul from the shadows. He hoped.  
  
He drew. (Ah! Just the cards to rid the field of his ghost!) he thought. "I activate Cost Down, and then I'll sacrifice Magical Absorber to summon Black Magician (2500/2100)!' he exclaimed. (Just one more card and this guy is history.)  
  
(Well then,) thought Bakura (just have to possess that Black Magician, won't I?) he thought as he watched his ghost fly inside Black Magician, ready to unleash its painful effect.  
  
"You think your ghost is going to stop me! Well try this! Activate, Armor of Gearfried!" Jack of Clubs announced as metallic armor connected to Black Magician's body. "My magical armor will not only raise my Black Magician's attack power by 100 times its level (3200), but it will also negate any equip cards on him, which means your ghost won't be able to equip to my mage!" he declared as Bakura, angrily, mentally instructed his ghost to enter Black Magician Girl.  
  
"Now the time has come! You lose your own "Shadow Realm" duel! This is the final attack! Black Magician, Dark Magic Attack! Destroy his life points!" commanded Jack of Clubs as his mage fired up his black lightning, ready to destroy Bakura.  
  
"You think you have me in a corner? You're about to destroy your own mage! For my trap card will help! Reveal, Spirit Lifeline!" he sprang along with his card. Instantly, a thin ghostly wire flew to Jack of Clubs' graveyard, and snatched Magical Absorber, which the wire flew back to Bakura's hand. He smirked devilishly as he summoned Magical Absorber to the field.  
  
"My monster, or should I say yours, may not be able to attack, but he will block Black Magician's attack!" he smirked as the magician absorbed the blast harmlessly, and then charged up its green energy attack, annihilating the mage. (**J's LP: 650**)  
  
(He knew I had a strategy waiting for his ghost.) Jack of Clubs thought.  
  
"Even worse for you," Bakura added "is look!' he smirked evilly, pointing to Ouija Board. The highlighter rapidly flew from A to T in a split second, and before Jack of Clubs could even blink, Bakura set the magic card, and the ghostly writing appeared.  
  
"One more turn," teased Bakura. "However, a familiar monster will make your stay in the shadows easier! First, I activate Guardian of the Spring! Using this card allows me to discard this equipment magic card from my hand, to bring another one back from the graveyard. Then I'll sacrifice your monster so I can once again summon Diabound Carnal! When will you learn that your fate is inevitable?" he added.  
  
"Next on the agenda is for me to activate the card I revived, Afterimage of the Ghost!" he smirked as his familiar Doppler Token (1800) appeared on the field. "Attack my ghost!" commanded Bakura as the token possessed Black Magician Girl, trapping her in a black aura, and cutting her attack points. (800/1700)  
  
"Diabound Carnal, strike down his pathetic magical fairy!" Bakura commanded as the monster launched its signature energy stream of yellow energy, and the monster began to charge its attack at full power, however, in a split second as soon as it launched it, Diabound Carnal shrunk to half its size, and the energy stream hit the magician girl, but still destroyed her. (**J's LP: 50**)  
  
"What happened? You should be finished!!" Bakura called.  
  
"I would be, except my Shrink magic card saved me!" Jack of Clubs showed, while wiping off his forehead.  
  
(Eh. Ouija Board will surely get him next turn.) Bakura thought, while ending his move.  
  
Jack of Clubs was nervously sweating. He drew cautiously. "Ha! Your Ouija Board stops here! Activate the magic card, Magical Neutralizing Force!" he smirked as the small tornado wall flew up from under Ouija Board, knocking out T, A, E, and D along with Bakura's Black Energy Fountain, followed by Dark Sanctuary. Jack of Clubs felt the cold feeling he received as the Shadow Realm once again came into view.  
  
"Now what are you going to hide behind?" Jack of Clubs bravely stated, but then realized even without Ouija Board, Bakura was still in control of the field.  
  
"What were you saying?" Bakura chuckled.  
  
Jack of Clubs was in a tight spot, but then discovered a plan that could work, but it would take some luck, a lot of luck. "I'll set three cards face down and summon Injection Fairy Lily (400/1500) to the field in attack mode! I'll end my move from here." He stated, a look of determination crossing his face.  
  
An unfazed Bakura drew his next card. "Well if you want to lose..." he stated, "Doppler Token, infect his fairy!" commanded Bakura.  
  
"Reverse magic card, Emergency Provisions! I'll send both of my cards to the graveyard to raise my life points by 2000!" he exclaimed. (**J's LP: 2050**)  
  
"Then I'll give up 2000 life points to boost Lily by 3000!" he added as his monster's syringe enlarged. (**J's LP: 50**) "Now Lily is able to ward off your Doppler Token's attack!"  
  
Bakura sighed at the foolishness of this, fool. "Answer me; did you actually believe I was ATTACKING? I'm activating my monster's special effect." He explained, calmly, knowing victory was one attack away. In the meantime, Lily, like all the other monsters became engulfed inside a black aura, with no way out.  
  
"Now that your monster's attack points have been decreased, drastically, I can activate this card! This card will seal your fate! Activate trap, Mirror Wall Ouiju!" he stated as his card flipped up. Instantly inside a tablet flew Black Magician. The tablet exploded as Diabound Carnal glowed in purple energy. It's attack points saw a favorable raise (3050) and Jack of Clubs knew it was all over. Bakura hadn't lost control of this match for a minute. Every thing went just as he knew it would.  
  
"Fool, prepare to enter a realm like you've never experienced before, beginning with this! Diabound Carnal, attack Lily (1200)!" he commanded as the monster charged up a yellow blast almost two times the size of the original attack, and shot it clear across the arena, overwhelming Lily and ultimately destroying her. (**J's LP: 0**)  
  
Jack of Clubs sank to his knees. He failed. It would have been different had it been an ordinary match, but the Shadow Realm was anything but ordinary. Bakura walked over, and dropped parallel to Jack of Clubs.  
  
"You lost!" Bakura emphasized. "And you know the penalty of losing the shadow game, correct?" Jack of Clubs did not respond. "Well let me refresh your memory!" Bakura stated, as the Millennium Ring appeared, flashing an array of golden light. Jack of Clubs body fell to the floor, soulless.  
  
Bakura turned and emerged from the alley. He chuckled to himself. (Another victim to the shadows) he thought and soon he'd have much, much more.  
  
CARDS PLAYED   
  
The Gross Ghost of Fled Dreams: /1300/1800/ Fiend Type  
  
Ouija Board: TRAP/Desc: At the end of each of your opponent's turns, place 1 Spirit Message card from your hand or your Deck face-up to the field. If it is from your Deck, then shuffle your Deck. If Spirit Message cards E, A, T and H are all on the field in their proper order, you are declared the winner. If any of the cards are destroyed or removed from the field while constructing the message, they are all sent to your Graveyard immediately.  
  
Black Magic Agreement: MAGIC/Desc: Special summon one "Black Magician Girl" from your hand, deck, or graveyard to the field.  
  
Spirit Letter E: MAGIC/Desc: This card may only be on the field when "Ouija Board" is active.  
  
Stray Lambs: MAGIC/Desc: When you activate this card, you cannot Normal Summon, Flip Summon or Special Summon during this turn. Special Summon 2 "Lamb Tokens" (Beast-Type/Earth/1 Star/ATK 0/DEF 0) in Defense Position on your side of the field.  
  
Spell Upgrade: MAGIC/Desc: This card may only be equipped to "Black Magician", "Black Magician Girl", "Magician of Black Chaos", or "Black- Robed Sage." Increase the equipped monster's attack by 600 points.  
  
Dark Spirit of the Silent: TRAP/Desc: This card can only be activated during your opponent's Battle Step. Negate the attack of 1 monster and select another 1 of your opponent's face-up monsters and have it attack. If the new targeted attacking monster is in face-up Defense Position, change it to Attack Position.  
  
Spirit Letter A: MAGIC/Desc: This card can only be activated when there is an "Ouija Board" face up on the field.  
  
Grand Tiki Elder: /1500/800/ Fiend Type  
  
Cost Down: MAGIC/Desc: Discard 1 card from your hand. Downgrade all Monster Cards in your hand by 2 Levels until the End Phase of the turn this card is activated.  
  
Black Magician: /2500/2100/ Magician Type  
  
Armor of Gearfried: EQUIP MAGIC/Desc: Increase the equipped monster's attack strength by 100 times its level. The equipped monster cannot be chosen as the target of equipment magic cards (excluding this card).  
  
Spirit Lifeline: TRAP/Desc: You may only activate this card when you have no monsters on the field, and your opponent attacks. Special summon one monster from your opponent's graveyard in face up attack or defense position.  
  
Spirit Letter T: MAGIC/Desc: This card can only be activated when there is a face up "Ouija Board" on the field.  
  
Guardian of the Spring: MAGIC/Desc: Discard one equipment magic card from your hand, to put one from your graveyard into your hand.  
  
Diabound Carnal: /1800/1200/ Demon Type  
  
Afterimage of the Ghost: Equipping this card to a "Diabound Carnal" allows you to summon one "Doppler Token" to the field. The Doppler Token may subtract attack points equal to its own from one monster on the field per turn.  
  
Shrink: QUICK PLAY MAGIC/Desc: Select one monster on the field. Until the end of the turn in which this card is activated, the selected monster's attack points are halved.  
  
Magical Neutralizing Force: MAGIC/Desc: Destroy all face-up magic cards on your opponent's side of the field.  
  
Injection Fairy Lily: /400/1500/ Fairy /Desc: This card's effect can be activated only during the Damage Step of either player's turn. Pay 2000 Life Points to increase the ATK of this monster by 3000 points only during the Damage Step.  
  
Emergency Provisions: QUICK PLAY MAGIC/Desc: Send Magic or Trap Cards on your side of the field to the Graveyard to increase your Life Points by 1000 points per card. This card is excluded.  
  
Mirror Wall Ouiju: TRAP/Desc: Increase the attack of one monster on the field's attack power by half of the attack points of a monster in the graveyard. 


	27. Kaiba v Pegasus: Return of Toon World

Disclaimer: See Chapter 26 for details  
  
**Chapter 27: Return of Toon World, Part 1**  
  
Kaiba was patrolling the streets of Domino, making sure there were no cheaters and his tournament was running as smooth as possible. He found a couple of them, and had them dismissed from the city limits without question. However, even more than cheaters and troublemakers, Kaiba was looking for opponents. Sure, there were thousands of people wishing to challenge him, but only a few Kaiba wished to challenge. There was one in particular. Every time they dueled, "he" was the victor. All accept one, the time at Duelist Kingdom, on the side of Pegasus' castle, where his Blue Eyes White Dragon tore apart "his" monster, winning him the match. Except, Kaiba believed "he" had been the victor. Kaiba lost his match to Pegasus, so his soul was trapped, but "he" managed to defeat Pegasus and save Kaiba.  
  
(I will defeat him this time) repeated Kaiba to himself, walking towards where his satellite last picked up Yugi's coordinates. But then, Kaiba heard a laugh. Not just any laugh, a laugh that ran chills up and down his spine. A laugh he remembered quite well, for this laugh belonged to the only person, excluding Yugi, able to defeat him in a duel. Not an honest duel, but a duel none the less. Kaiba turned to see the face of Pegasus.  
  
"You lose!" Pegasus smirked as his opponent's life points plummeted to 0. "Anyone else think they can..." Pegasus began to question as he scanned the area around him, until he ran upon an annoyed Kaiba. "Well I'll be! If it isn't the big cheese himself? Look at you, Kaiba-boy, running not one, not two, but three successful tournaments! You've grown much since Duelist Kingdom, I presume."  
  
Kaiba grunted, but laughed, remembering he had one of three cards that would make Pegasus beg for mercy. Obelisk flashed before his eyes. "Well look at you too," smirked Kaiba "still as pathetic as you were back then?" he concluded.  
  
Pegasus growled. "If I remember correctly, I was the victor of our duel, not you!" he barked.  
  
"Save it." Retorted Kaiba. "You only won because you cheated, using your last resort, your Toon World magic card."  
  
"What do you mean cheated? You could have received one too if you had created Duel Monsters and made the card yourself. I'm sure KaibaCorp. could have done something of that magnitude in a snap!"  
  
"I guess KaibaCorp. could have, couldn't we? However, my deck has grown in power! What, do you think I was just sitting in my office throwing tournaments? No, my deck has grown, and I hold a card in my deck that will quake fear in your boots. Your pathetic toon monsters don't stand a chance against my..." he began to state the name, but decided to save it for a duel.  
  
"How dare you mock my toon monsters? They'll bury your pitiful dragons in the ground!" Pegasus responded, loading his Duel Disk.  
  
"Then let's settle this!" Kaiba responded, loading his Duel Disk as well. "And I promise you, I'll be victorious on this day!"  
  
"Believe whatever you want, Kaiba-boy!" laughed Pegasus.  
  
"Let's Duel!" they shouted in unity as their life points shot up to 4000.  
  
Kaiba viewed his opening hand. (I'm such a good drawer.) he thought. "I'll set two cards face down and summon Blade Knight (1600/1000)!" he declared.  
  
Pegasus smirked as he drew. "Now I'll set one card face down, and summon Toon Alligator (800/1600) in defense mode. I think I'll end my move from here." He stated.  
  
Kaiba drew instantly. "Now I summon to the field, Y Dragon Head (1500/1600) in defense mode! Then I'll set two more cards face down, and since I have one card in my hand, Blade Knight gains 400 attack points! Go, Blade Knight, attack his Toon Alligator!" he commanded as Blade Knight flew at the monster, slashing him into molecules.  
  
Pegasus calmly drew. (I wonder why he didn't attack me with his Y-Dragon Head last turn. Maybe he's waiting for the other two parts. Well, he made a foolish mistake. For anyone of Kaiba's knowledge should know that the champion is certainly a great player, but no one is better at anything than the creator!) he laughed to himself.  
  
"I think I'll summon Red Archery Girl (1400/1500) in attack mode! However, I'll add this magic card, Treasure of Grief! Now, Red Archery Girl, attack Y-Dragon Head now!" Pegasus commanded as the mermaid drew back her arrow, shooting it at the machine, which just knocked it away. (**P's LP: 3800**)  
  
Some people had formed a crowd around Kaiba and Pegasus. Two of the biggest legends facing off in a duel. Many had heard of their duel in Duelist Kingdom, but this one was to be far different. "Well, as you should know, since I attacked but did not destroy your monster, I get to add a card from my deck to my hand!" he explained as his duel disk spat out a card, which Pegasus greedily snatched.  
  
(Everything's falling exactly into place, like a perfect jigsaw-puzzle.) he thought, eyeing his hand. (Even without my Millennium Eye, Kaiba is toast!) he thought.  
  
Kaiba drew. "You know, that wasn't the best move to make Pegasus! Now I summon X-Head Cannon (1800/1500) to the field! Now I'll combine my X-Head Cannon along with my Y-Dragon Head! Merge!" called Kaiba while his two monsters glowed in electricity, then merged together. "I have made XY- Dragon Cannon (2200/1900)! XY-Dragon Cannon, attack his Red Archery Girl!" commanded Kaiba as his monster launched two missiles, surrounding its target.  
  
"Reverse trap!" called Pegasus, "Go! Tears of A Mermaid!" he sprang as his trap flipped up. Instantly tears began pouring out of the eyes of Red Archery Girl, encasing XY-Dragon Cannon and discontinuing the missiles.  
  
Kaiba growled as he ended his move.  
  
"Now I activate the magic card I put in my hand!" Pegasus declared after he drew. "Activate, the magical Toon World!" he sprang. Instantly, the vivid book exploded onto the scene, opening its pages to reveal a paper-mache town. Red Archery Girl was instantly dragged in by a pink mist, and emerged as a giggling toon, whose shell grew eyes and moving hands.  
  
"But the fun doesn't stop there! Now I'll sacrifice Toon Mermaid to bring forth Toon Black Magician Girl (2000/1700)!" he declared as his mermaid swirled in pink light, almost happy to be sacrificed. She split into two orbs, and the orbs came together to unveil a toon magician girl, snickering at Kaiba.  
  
"Next, I activate Card Destruction!" Pegasus acclaimed as he and Kaiba both discarded their hands.  
  
(This is pointless...) thought an annoyed Kaiba.  
  
"Toon Black Magician Girl, attack Kaiba-boy's Blade Knight!" instructed Pegasus while the magician girl twirled her wand in the air, pointing it at Blade Knight. A wave of pink hearts came shooting from the wand, destroying Blade Knight. (**K's LP: 3600**).  
  
"You see Kaiba! Even without my old powers, I'm still a far better player than you have ever been! Did you think even you, the champion of Duel Monsters, could beat the person who invented the game?" Pegasus teased. "I'll set one more card face down, and then end my turn."  
  
Kaiba drew. "I didn't think I could. I know I can, and I will." Kaiba declared while looking at his card. "Activate, Card of Sanctity!" he announced as he drew 4 cards, while Pegasus drew 3.  
  
"Now I summon Z-Metal Tank! (1500/1300) and then combine it with the XY- Dragon Cannon to summon my all powerful XYZ-Dragon Cannon (2800/2600)! Go, XYZ-Dragon Cannon attack his Toon Black Magician Girl!" roared Kaiba as his monster blasted missiles at the mage girl.  
  
"Reveal trap, Toon Stop Sign!" called Pegasus. Black Magician Girl instantly whipped out a STOP sign before the missiles, which exploded then and there, not harming anything.  
  
(I know his strategy.) noted Kaiba. (He plans to use his traps to stop my attacks, and bring out stronger monsters on his turns. However, the best thing to attack is not his monsters, but Toon World itself. I've only got one card in my deck that can destroy Toon World, so I hope I can get it soon. Oh wait, I nearly forgot I've got 3 monsters already, if I can get Obelisk, I'll win either way.)  
  
He watched Pegasus draw. "Now I'll summon Toon Gemini Elf (1900/900) in attack mode!" he smirked as the two normal elves appeared, but then were transformed in the same fashion as Toon Black Magician Girl, and came out with way too much make up on, in Kaiba's opinion, and were flirting with Kaiba.  
  
"I'll set two cards face down, and then end my turn Kaiba!" he smirked. (Just do exactly what you know you want to.) thought Pegasus.  
  
Kaiba growled as he drew. "I activate my face down card, Cost Down!" he exclaimed as his card flipped up. Now I can sacrifice my XYZ-Dragon Cannon to bring forth my all powerful Blue Eyes White Dragon! (3000/2500)" he announced as his creature roared angrily.  
  
"Just as I wanted you to do!" remarked Pegasus. "For now I activate, Toon Mask!" he sprang along with his trap. Instantly, a toon with a mask attached to its face appeared on the field. The toon ripped off the mask and threw it onto the Blue Eyes, which roared in pain. "My trap card will allow me to take the toon counterpart of the monster under the control of my toon mask. And I doubt you'll like the monster I am able to summon!" he declared.  
  
"Come forth, Blue Eyes Toon Dragon (3000/2500)!" Pegasus declared as his deck spat out a card which he slapped on the field. The Toon World book slammed shut, and Kaiba noticed an essence seeping in between the pages of the book. The book flew open after a few unsuccessful tries, reformed the paper-mache town, and Pegasus' little dragon burst out, laughing demonic laughter.  
  
"All this comes with just one little price" added Pegasus, as the Toon Black Magician Girl swelled up, and finally exploded. "Still your turn, Kaiba" he said, after Kaiba didn't make a move.  
  
"I knew that!" barked Kaiba.  
  
"Aww... is Kaiba upset this is the only duel he ever fought he's not winning? Oh, scratch that, second only! Oh wait, scratch it again, third only duel he ever fought he's not winning? You must be sad." He disconcerted.  
  
"Blue Eyes White Dragon, attack the Toon Gemini Elf!" he called as the monster's jaw opened, unleashing a pure blast of white lightning towards the elves, who together made a circle with their hands. The lightning blast flew straight in the circle, and not one card was destroyed.  
  
"Memory is your best friend," joked Pegasus. He then sighed. "Kaiba, Kaiba, Kaiba, I'm surprised at you. You can't ever hope to beat my toons by attacking them head on! It will take much more than that, not like your capable of it though." He snickered, while brushing back a lock or two of his silver hair.  
  
It was Pegasus' turn. He drew his card. "You really are disappointing me Kaiba..., but not like I really care. So now I'll sacrifice Toon Gemini Elf to summon Toon Summoned Skull (2500/1200)!" he declared as his elves disappeared to be replaced by sort of a psycho-toon, swinging its head back and forth, and sticking its tongue out at Kaiba.  
  
"I'll set another card face down and end my turn. Please come up with something..." told Pegasus.  
  
Kaiba drew. (My deck has seen better days...) he commented to himself. "I activate Magician's Potion! This card returns all magic and trap cards to our hand!" he explained while Kaiba added 4 cards to his hand while Pegasus returned 2 cards to his hand and then Toon World. Both of Pegasus' toon monsters swelled and exploded.  
  
"Now go my dragon! Attack his life points at once!" Kaiba commanded as the dragon unleashed the lightning stream, striking down Pegasus and his life points. (**P's LP: 800**) Now I end my turn." He coolly announced. (That old fool won't know what hit him, until it already has.) he chuckled to himself.  
  
"Something funny, Kaiba?" Pegasus asked in a not so usual tone. "Nothing's funny about facing Toon World!" he declared as he re-activated the magic card and the book lit up in its colorful fashion just as the previous time.  
  
"Now I summon Toon Rogue Doll (1600/1000) in attack mode, set two cards face down, and then end my turn." Pegasus announced in one long drawn out breath.  
  
"Look who's bringing a pitiful show this time around!" Kaiba responded as a few people in the crowd laughed.  
  
"How dare _you_ mock _me_!" gritted Pegasus. "You will pay Kaiba-boy."  
  
"Heh." Kaiba dismissed the remark and drew. "I've got a plan to extinguish Toon World once and for all! I activate Reclaim of Magic! By discarding these two magic cards from my hand I am able to revive one magic card from my graveyard, and put it in my hand! Next, I'll activate A Wingbeat of Giant Dragon!" he exclaimed.  
  
"Noooooooooo!" shouted Pegasus.  
  
"Oh yes! Now return to me, Blue Eyes White Dragon!" instructed Kaiba as his dragon roared and its essence flew back into the card, which Kaiba greedily snatched into his hand. Instantly, a fiery dragon emerged from Kaiba's magic card, flying across to Pegasus' side of the field, annihilating Toon World and the Toon Monsters.  
  
Pegasus growled a deep, barking growl at Kaiba, who just responded with a smirk. "What, did I blow your plans out the water already by wiping out the only card in your deck that could even allow you to win?"  
  
(If only you knew what you were up against, Kaiba, you fool, you'd give up, for Yugi almost didn't even defeat this monster, and you're no match for Yugi!) he smirked, as he just needed Kaiba to do one thing.  
  
"Next, I'll activate not one, but two Cost Down's!" declared Kaiba. "Now I can freely summon Blue Eyes White Dragon (3000/2500) back to the field! You're finished Pegasus! You have no set cards or monsters! So, Blue Eyes White Dragon attack Pegasus' life points directly! End this match!" he ordered as the dragon charged up a lightning blast aimed directly at Pegasus.  
  
"You lose." Kaiba laughed.  
  
"I don't need set cards when I can activate this magic card from the graveyard!" he declared. "Activate, Sanctity of the Buried! I can remove from the game Toon Gemini Elf, Toon Alligator, Toon Black Magician Girl, Toon Summoned Skull, and Toon Blue Eyes White Dragon to negate your attack!" he laughed as the lightning blast dispersed before it could reach Pegasus.  
  
"Ha!" Pegasus chuckled. Kaiba growled, but set 2 cards face down before ending his turn.  
  
Pegasus drew. "Now its time to show you a surprise! I activate Raise Dead to bring back your Blade Knight! Then I sacrifice your Blade Knight to summon my Illusionist Faceless Mage (1200/2200)!" he confirmed as Kaiba's knight appeared on the field for a split-second, then was swallowed back into the graveyard to make way for a three headed, but no faced mystical mage.  
  
"Finally to end my turn, I'll activate the Eye of Illusion!" he declared as...nothing happened.  
  
"I'm afraid I don't see the effect of your magic card." Kaiba commented.  
  
"Don't worry Kaiba. You'll see it in due time" chortled Pegasus. (Someone smart wouldn't attack, for fear of what my magic card will do. Kaiba is smart, but he's even more arrogant, and his arrogance will cost him the duel!)  
  
Kaiba drew. "I summon Vorse Raider! (1900/1200)" Kaiba exclaimed. "Blue Eyes White Dragon, the Illusionist Faceless Mage with your White Lightning Attack!" commanded Kaiba as the dragon unleashed an attack. However, before the attack could hit, the mage held up its hands, and a purple eye with a shadowy aura around it appeared, absorbing the attack. The eye then disappeared.  
  
"Vorse Raider, attack!" added Kaiba.  
  
"White Lightning!" shouted Pegasus, as a stream of white lightning burst towards Vorse Raider, shattering it. (**K's LP: 2500**)  
  
"What?!?" Kaiba gasped in awe. "The faceless mage doesn't have a white lightning attack!" he stuttered, but then a figure came into view on Pegasus' field. Kaiba then recognized it as his own Blue Eyes White Dragon. He gasped.  
  
"That's right Kaiba!" Pegasus declared, breaking the silence. "Your most prized possession is now fighting for me!"  
  
Pegasus drew. "Now I summon Sonic Bird (1400/1000), who allows me to add a ritual magic card to my hand!" he explained as his deck shot out a card, and he snatched it, adding it to his hand. "However, it really doesn't matter does it? Time to finish you off! Blue Eyes White Dragon, attack your former master Kaiba's life points directly! Destroy him!" called Pegasus. The dragon obeyed and shot clear across the arena a shot of white lightning, ready to destroy Kaiba for good.  
  
"Reveal, Negate Attack!" responded Kaiba as a vortex absorbed the stream of white lightning.  
  
Pegasus growled, but then recovered. (Minor setback.) he thought.  
  
Kaiba put all his faith into his cards and drew, and was quite pleased with his draw. "Thanks for lining up all of your cards so that I may wipe them out, Pegasus! Activate, Raigeki!" announced Kaiba as 3 lightning bolts came crashing down from the sky, annihilating all 3 of Pegasus' monsters.  
  
"Now I'll activate my own Raise Dead and call back the Blue Eyes White Dragon (3000/2500)! Blue Eyes White Dragon, attack Pegasus' life points directly and win the duel!" he commanded as the dragon charged up the white lightning blast and shot it towards Pegasus.  
  
"I'll activate yet another Sanctity of the Buried" coolly announced Pegasus, "removing my Red Archery Girl, Tears of A Mermaid, Toon Stop Sign, Illusionist Faceless Mage, and Eye of Illusion to do so!" he exclaimed as the lightning blast faded inches before Pegasus.  
  
Pegasus then drew. (I would use my ritual magic card, however, I have no monsters in my hand, but I can find a way around that...) he thought. "I activate Last Resort, allowing me to summon a monster with 2 stars or lower from my deck to the field! So welcome, Dark Eyes Illusionist! (0/0). However, the fun won't stop there, Kaiba-boy! It gets much worse! I activate, Black Illusion Ritual!" he beamed as the magic card's effect activated. Dark Eyes Illusionist was absorbed into a pot which grew in size to a monster supported by one leg, opening two gigantic wings and a small stomach could be seen. It had one eye floating on its head.  
  
"I've created my masterpiece, Relinquished (0/0)! Witness an ability of my Relinquished as it takes control of your Blue Eyes White Dragon!" instructed Pegasus as the stomach of Relinquished grew larger in size. It began to intake air, and Kaiba noticed Blue Eyes White Dragon began to be absorbed into Relinquished. The powerful dragon tried to fight off the attack, but it was pointless. Blue Eyes was absorbed into Pegasus' monster. It then folded over its wings, revealing a piece of the dragon.  
  
"My dragon..." Kaiba stuttered.  
  
"Do you like it? Well, it really doesn't matter anyway! Now my mighty Relinquished will destroy you! Relinquished, absorb the Blue Eyes White Dragon's power and attack Kaiba's life points!" commanded Pegasus as Relinquished's eye glowed purple. It stole energy from Blue Eyes White Dragon and fired it at Kaiba.  
  
"Reveal trap! Mechanical Magic Mirror will activate Raise Dead from your graveyard!" sprung Kaiba. Instantly, the trap morphed into the magic card, reviving Vorse Raider (1900/1200) in defense mode, which instantly shattered from the attack.  
  
"You may have avoided that attack Kaiba, but Relinquished holds your most powerful monster! There's no way you'll win!" laughed Pegasus.  
  
**CARDS PLAYED**   
  
Blade Knight: /1600/1000/ Warrior Type /Desc: This card gains 400 ATK when there is only one card in your hand.  
  
Toon Alligator: /800/1600/ Reptile  
  
Y-Dragon Head: /1500/1600/ Machine Type/Desc: Once per turn, during your Main Phase, if you control this monster on the field, you can equip it to your "X-Head Cannon" as an Equip Spell Card OR change it back to a monster in face-up Attack Position. When equipped on a monster by this card's effect, that monster's ATK/DEF is increased by 400 points. (1 monster can only be equipped with 1 Union Monster at a time. If the monster that the card is equipped to is destroyed in battle, this card is destroyed instead.)  
  
Red Archery Girl: /1400/1500/ Aqua Type  
  
Treasure of Grief: PERMANENT MAGIC/Desc: When one of your monsters battles an opponent's monster and does not destroy it, place one card from your deck into your hand.  
  
X-Head Cannon: /1800/1500/ Machine Type  
  
XY-Dragon Cannon: /2200/1900/ Machine Type /Desc: "X-Head Cannon" "Y-Dragon Head" This monster can only be Special Summoned by removing from play the above monsters on your side of the field. You do not use "Polymerization" to Special Summon this monster from your Fusion Deck. Discard 1 card from your hand to destroy 1 face-up Spell Card or Trap card on your opponent's side of the Field.  
  
Tears of A Mermaid: TRAP/Desc: Activate this card when your opponent attacks. Negate the attack and destroy any cards equipped to the attacking monster.  
  
Toon World: CONTINIOUS MAGIC/Desc: As long as this card remains face-up on the field, Toon Monsters cannot be destroyed as a result of battle, and all battle damage done to toon monsters by your opponent is reduced to 0.  
  
Toon Mermaid: /1400/1500/ Aqua/Toon Type /Desc: This card cannot be summoned unless "Toon World" in on the field. When "Toon World" is destroyed, this card is also destroyed. If a Toon monster is on your opponent's side of the field, your attack must target the Toon monster.  
  
Toon Black Magician Girl: /2000/1700/ Magician/Toon Type/ Desc: This card cannot be summoned unless "Toon World" in on the field. When "Toon World" is destroyed, this card is also destroyed. If a Toon monster is on your opponent's side of the field, your attack must target the Toon monster. This card gains 300 ATK for each "Black Magician" and "Magician of Black Chaos" in either player's graveyard.  
  
Card Destruction: MAGIC/Desc: Both players discard their hands and draw the same number of cards they held in their hands from their respective decks.  
  
Card of Sanctity: MAGIC/Desc: Both players draw until they have six cards in their respective hands.  
  
Z-Metal Tank: /1500/1300/ Machine /Desc: Once per turn, during your Main Phase, if you control this monster on the field, you can equip it to your "X-Head Cannon" or "Y-Dragon Head" as an Equip Spell Card OR change it back to a monster in face-up Attack Position. When equipped on a monster by this card's effect, that monster's ATK/DEF is increased by 600 points. (1 monster can only be equipped with 1 Union Monster at a time. If the monster that the card is equipped to is destroyed in battle, this card is destroyed instead.)  
  
XYZ-Dragon Cannon: /2800/2600/ Machine/Fusion/Desc: "X-Head Cannon" "Y-Dragon Head" "Z-Metal Tank" This monster can only be Special Summoned by removing from play the above monsters on your side of the field. You do not use "Polymerization" to Special Summon this monster from your Fusion Deck. Discard 1 card from your hand to destroy 1 card on your opponent's side of the Field.  
  
Toon Stop Sign: TRAP/Desc: Negate the attack of one of your opponent's monsters that specifically designates one of your Toon Monsters on the field.  
  
Toon Gemini Elf: /1900/900/ Spellcaster/Toon Type /Desc: This card cannot be summoned unless "Toon World" in on the field. When "Toon World" is destroyed, this card is also destroyed. If a Toon monster is on your opponent's side of the field, your attack must target the Toon monster.  
  
Cost Down: MAGIC/Desc: Discard one card from your hand to lower all monster cards levels in your hand by 2 until the end phase in which this card is activated.  
  
Blue Eyes White Dragon: /3000/2500/ Dragon Type  
  
Toon Mask: TRAP/Desc: Activate this card when your opponent summons a monster. Sacrifice one toon monster on your side of the field, and summon the toon version of the monster your opponent summoned.  
  
Blue Eyes Toon Dragon: /3000/2500/ Dragon/Toon Type/Desc: This card cannot be summoned unless "Toon World" in on the field. When "Toon World" is destroyed, this card is also destroyed. If a Toon monster is on your opponent's side of the field, your attack must target the Toon monster.  
  
Toon Summoned Skull: /2500/1200/ Fiend/Toon Type/ Desc: This card cannot be summoned unless "Toon World" in on the field. When "Toon World" is destroyed, this card is also destroyed. If a Toon monster is on your opponent's side of the field, your attack must target the Toon monster.  
  
Magician's Potion: QUICK PLAY MAGIC/Desc: Return all magic and trap cards to their owner's hands.  
  
Toon Rogue Doll: /1600/1000/ Spellcaster/ Toon Type /Desc: This card cannot be summoned unless "Toon World" in on the field. When "Toon World" is destroyed, this card is also destroyed. If a Toon monster is on your opponent's side of the field, your attack must target the Toon monster.  
  
Reclaim of Magic: MAGIC/Desc: Discard two magic cards from your hand. Select one magic card in your graveyard and add it to your hand.  
  
A Wingbeat of Giant Dragon: MAGIC/Desc: Return 1 face-up Level 5 or higher Dragon-Type monster on your side of the field to the owner's hand and destroy all Magic and Trap Cards on the field.  
  
Sanctity of the Buried: MAGIC/Desc: This card may be activated from the graveyard when your opponent announces an attack. Remove 5 cards from your graveyard from the game to negate the attack.  
  
Raise Dead: MAGIC/Desc: Select 1 Monster Card from either your opponent's or your own Graveyard and place it on the field under your control in Attack or Defense Position (face-up). This is considered a Special Summon.  
  
Illusionist Faceless Mage: /1200/2200/ Spellcaster Type  
  
Eye of Illusion: MAGIC/Desc: Equip this card to a face-up "Illusionist Faceless Mage." When your opponent attacks, negate the attack and bring the attacking monster under your control. This card's effect may only be used once per card. If this card is destroyed, return the monster back to its owner's side of the field.  
  
Vorse Raider: /1900/1200/ Beast-Warrior Type  
  
Sonic Bird: /1400/1000/ Winged Beast Type/Desc: When this card is summoned (excluding Special Summon), you may move 1 Ritual Magic Card from your Deck to your hand. The Deck is then shuffled.  
  
Negate Attack: TRAP/Desc: When your opponent attacks, negate the attack, and end your opponent's battle phase.  
  
Raigeki: MAGIC/Desc: Destroy all of your opponent's monsters on the field.  
  
Last Resort: MAGIC/Desc: Special summon a level 2 monster or lower from your deck to the field. The deck is then shuffled.  
  
Dark Eyes Illusionist: /0/0/Spellcaster/Desc: When your opponent declares this card as the target of an attack, negate the attack, and the attacking monster can not attack or change battle positions as long as this card remains on the field.  
  
Black Illusion Ritual: RITUAL MAGIC/Desc: This card is used to Ritual Summon "Relinquished". You must also offer monsters whose total Level Stars equal 1 or more from the field or your hand as a Tribute.  
  
Relinquished: /0/0/ Spellcaster/Ritual Type/Desc: This monster can take on the ATK and DEF of 1 opponent's monster on the field (a face-down monster results in an ATK and DEF of 0). Treat the selected monster as an Equip Magic Card and use it to equip "Relinquished." You may use this effect only once per turn and can equip Relinquished with only 1 monster at a time. When your opponent's monster attacks this monster with an ATK higher than Relinquished, the equipped monster is destroyed instead of Relinquished. Any Life Point damage you receive from the attacking monster while Relinquished is equipped is also inflicted on your opponent.  
  
Mechanical Magic Mirror: TRAP/Desc: You may only activate this card when your opponent attacks. Activate one magic card from your opponent's graveyard. 


	28. Kaiba v Pegasus: Awaken Obelisk, Part 2

Disclaimer: See Chapter 27 for details  
  
**Chapter 28: Awaken Obelisk, Part 2**  
  
"Give it up, Kaiba! Relinquished will be your downfall, you can never destroy it; however, it will easily destroy you. So, I'll place this little number for later on the field, and end my move." Smirked Pegasus, waiting until the perfect moment he would annihilate Kaiba, and continue his quest.  
  
Kaiba drew. He gritted his teeth and glared towards Pegasus. (This card will help me defeat Pegasus, if only my deck comes through. Oh listen at me, I sound like Yugi.) "I summon Dark Gremlin (1600/1800) to the field in defense mode, and then I activate Swords of Revealing Light, so now your monsters are paralyzed within my swords! That means Relinquished won't be attacking anything for three turns!" he happily explained as a myriad of light swords shot from the card, placing themselves all along Pegasus' field, making his monster wince, but recover shortly.  
  
"You honestly think a light show will save you?" Pegasus questioned.  
  
"Actually, yes I do" retorted Kaiba.  
  
Pegasus smirked. "Only one way to discover it." He drew. (Ooh. This card will help make an addition to Relinquished, that is, as soon as I draw another card.) "I think I'll pass this turn."  
  
Kaiba drew. "I figured you'd do something like that. I'll take the liberty of summoning Sword of Soul (0/1900) in defense mode to the field! I'll then set one more card face down to finish my move." He declared, as the turn moved back to Pegasus.  
  
Pegasus drew. (Just the card I need!) "Prepare Kaiba!" he smirked, "for now I'll summon Thousand Eyes Idol (0/0) to the field! But the fun doesn't stop there! Watch, as I play Fusion to fuse my Thousand Eyes Idol into my Relinquished!" he smirked, watching his most powerful creature being brought into play. Relinquished's skin began to bubble, and soon burst one thousand eyeballs from its skin. The skin on Relinquished darkened in color to a reddish-brown, and you could tell this monster was nothing like its old counterpart.  
  
"I have brought forth the creature of your destruction, Thousand Eyes Restrict! (0/0)" he laughed as his laughter echoed into the crowd surrounding the duelists. Kaiba wondered what powers this monster would possess. However, Kaiba noticed something missing as part of the Thousand Eyes Restrict, and chuckled.  
  
"There's nothing funny about being defeated, Kaiba" scoffed Pegasus.  
  
"I'm not defeated just yet. Look at your monster. He lost the only thing giving him power!" he declared pointing at the thousand eyed monster. "My Blue Eyes White Dragon!" finished Kaiba. "Your monster lost a 3000 attack point gain! Any of my monsters will wipe him out next turn." He smirked.  
  
"Check again, Kaiba! My Thousand Eyes may have lost your dragon, but it gained several effects! No monster is allowed to attack as long as this monster governs the field! So, check again Kaiba, that's a small price to pay for what I have now put into effect!" laughed the creator of Duel Monsters. All of the odds were in his favor.  
  
"I could absorb one of your pitiful defenses; however, due to the Thousand Eyes Restrict's second ability no other monster can change its position, so it would be a pointless move. I'll pass to you, Kaiba-boy" smiled Pegasus.  
  
Kaiba growled, hating being called "boy". He swiftly snatched the top card on his deck. (Great! Now when I summon this monster, I'll have 3 monsters that I can soon offer to Obelisk, as soon as I draw it.) he thought. "I summon La Jinn, the Mystic Genie of the Lamp (1800/1000) to the field in defense mode! I'll end my move now, Pegasus." He announced as his green genie magically appeared on the field, closing his eyes and folding his arms.  
  
Pegasus drew. "I'll activate a magic card just to help you out Kaiba."  
  
"I'll bet" retorted the world-famous duelist, Kaiba himself.  
  
"As I was saying, before I was rudely interrupted by the likes of you, time to activate this, Spell Exploration! Now both of us may choose one magic card from our deck or graveyard and add it to our hands!" he explained as Pegasus searched his graveyard, selecting his Raise Dead card, while Kaiba went through his deck, and snatched a ritual magic card. Pegasus ended his turn.  
  
Kaiba drew, and without looking at his card, spoke these words. "You're soon going to regret that move, Pegasus. Now, I activate this! Go, White Dragon Ritual!" he declared. "By discarding my Battle Ox, I can bring forth a new monster, the Paladin of White Dragon! (1900/1200)!" he finished as his dragon riding monster swooped down from the sky, onto the playing field, wowing the gathering crowd.  
  
"However, next I can sacrifice my Paladin of White Dragon!" he started back up, looking at Pegasus, "to summon this!" A bright light filled the arena, centering on Paladin of White Dragon. All of the other monsters seemed to watch the light unfold, and disappear shortly after. Although, instead of the dragon knight being there, a powerful blue dragon appeared from the sky, giving off a roar everyone instantly recognized as none other than a Blue Eyes White Dragon (3000/2500).  
  
Pegasus smiled. "You've fallen right into my trap Kaiba! Reveal, Temporary Pitfall! This card will stop your Blue Eyes White Dragon from doing anything until your next turn. That means he won't be attacking me or defending you," coolly smiled Pegasus. "So, I think I'll draw, and next summon my Dark Rabbit (1100/1500) in defense mode and end my turn."  
  
Before Kaiba drew, his dragon flew out of the pit just as it closed in, as nothing had ever been there. Kaiba was quite impressed by the hologram. He drew a card. "Prepare Pegasus! Now you feel the power in my deck! I'll sacrifice La Jinn, the Mystic Genie of the Lamp along with Dark Gremlin to bring out this! Go, Blue Eyes White Dragon!" cried Kaiba as the two monsters disappeared into an orb of blue light, which formed a dragon that roared on to the field, and descended to the level of the other monsters on the field.  
  
"You lose Pegasus. For now I'm about to activate another trap card, Skill Drain! At the cost of 1000 life points (**K's LP: 200**) no monster's effects are able to work! That means your Thousand Eyes Restrict's effect no longer counts allowing monsters to attack again, just like this!" he declared, pointing at his target, the Thousand Eyes Restrict. "Blue Eyes White Dragon, attack Thousand Eyes Restrict! End this match with a White Lightning attack!" commanded Kaiba as his dragon obeyed, opening its jaw creating a static wave. Out of the wave, emerged a powerful stream of white lightning, aimed directly at the thousand eyed monster. It became worried at the sight of the attack.  
  
"Hold on Kaiba! Reveal, the card known as Trap Thief!" sprang Pegasus.  
  
"Trap Thief?" pondered Kaiba.  
  
"By the look on your face, I should explain. Trap Thief allows me to use one trap card from your graveyard against you. The card I choose is your Negate Attack!" he called as a vortex appeared right before the Thousand Eyes Restrict, which absorbed the lightning attack.  
  
"I presume that ends your turn" said Pegasus.  
  
"Not quite. I've still got one card to play, and it's known as Silent Dead! This mighty card allows me to revive one monster to the field in defense mode! The card I choose is none other than my third Blue Eyes White Dragon! Come to the field!" he explained as the third dragon came to the field in the same fashion as the second dragon. However, when it hit the field it curved its wings before it in a defensive position.  
  
"Your dragon isn't able to attack while revived under the effects of Silent Dead" pointed out Pegasus.  
  
"You think I don't even know how my own magic card works? That's just another obstacle I can easily overcome" stated Kaiba, a cautious hint in his tone. Pegasus wondered what Kaiba could be planning. If he had his Millennium Eye, he wouldn't need to wonder.  
  
Pegasus cautiously drew. Kaiba did made a good point. He had 2 set cards on the field for well over 7 turns now. What could Kaiba be planning? However, Pegasus soon brushed it off. He had studied Kaiba's deck very carefully, watching tapes and replays of every duel he ever played. He noticed Kaiba's combos, and certain cards Kaiba loved to keep in his deck, no matter what. And that is exactly what Pegasus makes his deck with. The rarest cards in the world that would counter Kaiba's cards. After all, he did invent the game; shouldn't he receive this as some reward? To Kaiba's surprise though, Pegasus invented cards in his deck to give Kaiba a run for his money, however, he needed to draw them first. (Cue: 3 highlighted cards in Pegasus' deck, one under 12 cards, one under 18 cards, and one at the very bottom of his deck.) Pegasus smiled.  
  
"I'm afraid I miss the humor, Pegasus" spoke Kaiba, upon seeing his opponent smile.  
  
"Maybe that's because the humor's pointed at you!" Pegasus set a card on the Duel Disk. "Prepare Kaiba, for now your Blue Eyes are done for! You see, old, old, friend, I've made a few modifications in Duel Monsters recently, creating new cards just to combat you and Yugi's strategies!" he looked at Kaiba's face, which was full of confusion. "This combo will help! Go, Bomb Soldier (200/1450) in attack position! Ready, Kaiba? Now, activate magic card, Riryoku!" beamed the creator of Duel Monsters.  
  
"What does that do?" Kaiba asked, worried towards the answer.  
  
"It defeats you!" laughed Pegasus. "For Riryoku is a special magic card that will cut the power of one of your precious Blue Eyes White Dragons in half!" explained Pegasus, as Kaiba watched his second dragon's stats lower from 3000 to 1500. "However, it increases my Bomb Soldier's attack power by the same amount!" Pegasus' monster's stats skyrocketed from a pitiful 300 to an average 1700.  
  
"How will that rid the field of all 3 of my Blue Eyes White Dragons?" Kaiba impatiently questioned.  
  
"You seem so enjoyed your demise is coming! This is the final card that will seal your fate, engage the magic card, Meteor Shower!"  
  
"Meteor Shower??!!?!" burst Kaiba. (I've heard of that card before. Pegasus was planning on me to get three Blue Eyes out. However, I've got one maneuver that might save my dragons.) he wondered to himself, as Pegasus finished his move.  
  
"Not only will this card make a dent in your strategy, it will make a dent in your life points, for you lose 300 life points for each card destroyed by Meteor Shower! However, with Battle Damage, I calculate you'll be hanging on with no monsters, and 100 small life points."  
  
(What's Pegasus talking about?) pondered Kaiba. (I have only 200 life points left, so I'll automatically lose. What could he be planning?  
  
"Confused, Kaiba? Activate, Rain of Mercy! This magic card should clear everything up, eh old friend?" chuckled Pegasus. (**P's LP: 1800**) (**K's LP: 1200**)  
  
(Why would Pegasus keep saving me like this? He's got some sort of psychological game planned, but I'll teach him about giving your opponent's mercy in the midst of battle.) snickered Kaiba. Pegasus noticed, but thought the fool had finally cracked, and called for his possible winning move.  
  
"Go! Bomb Soldier, attack the middle Blue Eyes White Dragon!" called Pegasus, pointing at the target. The soldier ran up to the dragon, hugged it, and then pulled a string on its costume. Instantly, the soldier and dragon blew up in a fiery explosion. Smoke was created, and when it left the scene, neither monster was destroyed, but one of Kaiba's set cards was finally activated.  
  
"I was waiting for you to slip up, Pegasus! My trap card has been activated! You set off Attack Guidance Armor!" sprang Kaiba as his trap glowed. Instantly, Thousand Eyes Restrict was covered by thick, brown armor. Pegasus' soldier instantly ran up to it, hugged it, and pulled a pin on its costume in the same fashion as it did to the Blue Eyes White Dragon. However, when the smoke cleared this time, Pegasus' thousand eyed creature melted, and left the dueling scene.  
  
"That brings your life points down to 100." Called Kaiba.  
  
"You would like that wouldn't you?" replied Pegasus. "My trap says otherwise! Shielding Wheel, activate!" demanded Pegasus as a pale blue wheel appeared before Pegasus, absorbing a faint blue line of energy. The wheel then vanished.  
  
"My trap will not only negate the damage done to me by my own attack, for the price of using this card, both our life points will increase by 1700" enlightened Pegasus, as two circles of golden energy shined on both duelists. Pegasus was smiling, while Kaiba showed no sign of emotion. (**P's LP: 3500**) (**K's LP: 2900**)  
  
"Before I end my turn, I'll activate the last card in my hand, a card known as Magic Factory! This card allows me to discard my hand to put the top 6 magic cards in my hand from my deck!" happily explained Pegasus, as his deck holster shot out 6 cards, which Pegasus grabbed from top to bottom. He was pleased overall with his results.  
  
Kaiba drew Obelisk in this turn. His face began to show a slight sense of power. He was so close to winning. He began to raise his card in the air, but something stopped him. It wasn't one of those "Egyptian Hocus Pocus tales with no ending," it was something about the way Pegasus seemed to react, as if he knew exactly what Kaiba was planning.  
  
"I must admit Kaiba, I'm quite impressed." Spoke the creator of the game, right in the middle of his opponent's move, "they way you've kept those three monsters for the past couple of turns, you must have been waiting for something to summon." He chuckled, as Kaiba face turned into shock.  
  
(How could he know I possess Obelisk? No matter, I'll just have to find a different route to his life points, he said, selecting a magic card from his hand. I activate the magic card Peace Treaty! In exchange for destroying every card on your side of the field, you are allowed to summon one monster from your deck to the field in face-down defense mode" explained Kaiba, as the card created a fire tornado, sucking up Pegasus' remaining magic or trap, along with his monster card. Pegasus manually fingered through his deck, and chose a monster, setting it on his monster card plate.  
  
"The end is coming Pegasus! It doesn't matter what monster you summoned, it won't stand up to this!" Kaiba declared, placing a card on the Duel Disk. "Fusion! Activate! Fuse my three almighty dragons together to summon one of the most feared creatures in Duel Monsters!" commanded Kaiba, as his magic card created a yellow strip of energy. All three dragons flew into the strip and all that could be seen was a shadow of a dragon. The crowed was in awe. In a second, two mighty wings burst out of the strip of energy and down floated a three-headed, fiercely roaring dragon with an insignia on all three of its heads.  
  
"I create the monster with the most attack points in my deck! The Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon!" Kaiba introduced, as his dragon let loose a roar it had been holding back. On the ground, the dragon was three times as tall as Kaiba and at least twice as long. "Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon, incinerate his face down card!" called Kaiba, expecting it to be a Millennium Shield or Labyrinth Wall. Instead, Kaiba found a parasite monster, ready to leech onto something.  
  
"You just had to attack, didn't you?" sighed Pegasus. "But it's no surprise; all you did was unleash the Parasitic Virus (1600/1300)! Now say goodbye Kaiba, for my Virus will strike your deck!" Pegasus explained as his monster flew into Kaiba's deck, and certain cards emitted a purplish- black aura.  
  
"What has your monster done to my deck??" stuttered Kaiba.  
  
"Easy. Since you foolishly attacked my monster, it gains its revenge by being able to destroy every monster and trap in your deck! It's a card I invented just for you!" echoed Pegasus, as some people in the crowd became angry with Pegasus for just inventing an all-powerful card.  
  
Pegasus viewed Kaiba discarding 16 of his 21 cards he still kept in his deck. That left just 5 magic cards. However, Kaiba still had Obelisk in his hand, but now he only had one monster to sacrifice, instead of his original 3 dragons.  
  
Pegasus drew as his leech jumped out of Kaiba's deck. "Oh! Did I forget to mention? Each time you attack this little critter, your monster's attack points are cut until they're equal to my parasite's defense points. And judging by my Duel Monsters rules, neither monster is destroyed!" he laughed, just waiting 5 more turns where Kaiba would automatically lose. Pegasus eyed a magic card he saved just for Kaiba's Ultimate Dragon. He set it face down on the field, and ended his turn.  
  
Kaiba drew The Flute of the Summoning Dragon, a worthless card. He refused to believe his all-powerful dragon would stoop to a small 1300 attack. He called for an attack. The three dragons launched three streams of lightning, which merged together in mid-air for one thunderous blast. It reached the parasite, but the virus blocked it effortlessly. Kaiba watched these events unfold in horror. He ended his move.  
  
Pegasus drew, thought about when to spring his set card. "I think it would crush Kaiba the most if I used it on his very last turn, so I think I will." He pondered. "I'll pass." He uninterestedly declared.  
  
Kaiba drew a card that could help, eventually. "I activate the magic card I just drew, Mega Fuse Polymerization!" he declared as his graveyard slot glowed. Kaiba explained, seeing a look between a cross of interestedness and confusion cross Pegasus' face. "My magic card allows me to remove from play all 3 of my Blue Eyes White Dragons, to summon another Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon! Arise my dragon!" called Kaiba as the three dragons were placed in another compartment of his Duel Disk. A dragon floated from the sky, resembling Kaiba's other dragon as if a meticulous designer created them.  
  
"I'll end my turn from here." Kaiba announced as all six of his dragon heads let out an earth shattering roar.  
  
Pegasus calmly drew. He may be facing two of some of the most powerful and rarest creatures in his game, however, he had a monster that would never be destroyed by Kaiba's monsters, and seeing how Kaiba used his Raigeki magic card already, it would be but a simple task to draw out Kaiba. It may be a cheap and childish way to win, but it was still winning, reassured Pegasus to himself. He passed.  
  
Kaiba drew the Compensation of Desire magic card. (Worthless.) he thought and ended his turn, while his heart grew more fast paced, seeing just two more cards in his deck. He decided to pass, seeing as how the three cards in his hand (The Compensation of Desire, Obelisk, and Saggi the Dark Clown) were worthless now.  
  
Pegasus drew once more. (Two more turns! Two more turns!) Pegasus sang to himself. He passed joyously.  
  
Kaiba drew the magic card, Command Silencer. (Normally this card is great, however, in this current situation, it's just not enough.) thought Kaiba while he passed.  
  
Pegasus drew once again. "I'll discard Toon Summoned Skull to keep my hand at 6, and finish my move. Forget all about winning Kaiba, for you have just one more card in your deck. There's no way you will ever defeat me. What is that last card some magic card that lets you inflict 3500 points of direct damage to me?" laughed Pegasus, along with a few members of the crowd.  
  
Kaiba closed his eyes, thinking what would happen if he lost. He lost Obelisk, he lost his chance to defeat Yugi and reclaim his dueling status title, and he lost...to Pegasus, who he would never lose to twice. He swiftly drew, checked his card, and for once, smiled a smile of relief.  
  
"This is it!" declared Kaiba, "you lose! Activate the last card in my deck, Dimension Fusion! For 2000 life points, we both revive all the monsters that have been removed from play!" informed Kaiba. (**K's LP: 900**) Pegasus took the opportunity to revive his Red Archery Girl, Illusionist Faceless Mage, and Toon Alligator to his field, all in defense mode, of course.  
  
On the contrary, Kaiba revived his 3 powerful Blue Eyes White Dragons to the field, each let out a roar more terrifying than the one before it. Pegasus was quite amused. "Kaiba, Kaiba, Kaiba..." he began clapping, "I must admit this is the most impressive line up of monsters I've ever seen playing Duel Monsters. Not only have you called the 3 legendary Blue Eyes White Dragons to the field, you also called 2, mind you, Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragons to the field. How do you do it? However, old friend, you've overlooked one important thing! Dimension Fusion was the very last card in your deck. As soon as I end my next turn, you automatically lose everything!" laughed the creator of Duel Monsters. However, to his surprise, Kaiba laughed along with him. "Something I'm missing Kaiba? Last time I checked, you don't draw cards from the graveyard." He hissed, wondering what Kaiba could be up to.  
  
"I don't need to draw any cards, for I have one card in my hand that will end this match!" Kaiba declared, raising a card in the air.  
  
(What is the fool talking about?) pondered Pegasus.  
  
"It's time to be reborn, God of Obelisk! I sacrifice my 3 Blue Eyes White Dragons to summon my most powerful card, Obelisk, arise!" called Kaiba as blue lightning flashed frequently in the sky. The three dragons were taken into the sky and vanished. However a blue orb floated from the sky. When it hit the field, it transformed into a massive blue demon, taller than any other thing in sight. It growled in its rage.  
  
(OBELISK!?!?!?) screamed Pegasus to himself, at the sight of his monster. He remembered when he first created the monster, painting it to look exactly like the stone carving he found. How did Kaiba get his hands on Obelisk? Did he steal them from Isis? Would Isis give him one? How could he...Kaiba, control Obelisk, when its true creator could not?! Pegasus thought these kinds of thoughts until Kaiba spoke.  
  
"This is the final move! Obelisk, I offer you my two remaining monsters! Soul Energy Max!" called Kaiba as Obelisk snatched the two dragons, feeding their souls into his red jewel. He roared angrily as the dragon's empty shells entered the graveyard. "Attack him now!" thrust Kaiba, motioning towards Pegasus. Obelisk simply held out his hand and the parasite virus shattered to pieces. Obelisk then brought his fist down and hard upon Pegasus, who let out a growl, mixed with a scream, as his life points shot to 0. (**P's LP: 0**)  
  
"No!" Pegasus screamed. "Damn you, Kaiba!" he ran off, passing through the crowd, and into the streets of Domino.  
  
"So like him..." thought Kaiba.  
  
Yugi and the gang were about one block away from the scene of the duel; however, they were at a restaurant when Obelisk was summoned. Tristan and Joey were of course, stuffing their faces. The gang finally was allowed to leave, after eating, practically everything. They saw a man running at them at full speed. He looked somewhat injured, but apparently that wasn't bothering him. The man ran straight through the gang.  
  
"Weird..." said Tristan.  
  
"What?" asked Tea.  
  
"You know, for a second there, that guy looked exactly like Pegasus. It was just creepy" replied Tristan.  
  
"No way man, Pegasus hasn't even been heard of since Yugi here whooped him at Duelist Kingdom. What are the odds of him showing up right here?" stated Joey.  
  
They heard footsteps behind them, and a familiar voice proclaimed, "At last I've found you!"  
  
A/N: Yeah, kind of bad outro, but the rest was good right? scattered applause Ok, that's nice, REVIEW PLEASE!!  
  
**Cards Played:**  
  
Dark Gremlin: /1600/1800/Fiend Type  
  
Swords of Revealing Light: MAGIC/Desc: Counting from your opponent's turn, none of your opponent's monsters can attack for 3 turns. When this card is activated, opponent's face-down monsters are turned face-up, but remain in Defense Position. Any effects the monsters may have are immediately activated.  
  
Sword of Soul: /0/1900/ Warrior/ Desc: When this card is destroyed, select one monster on your side of the field. The monster's ATK is increased by 1000 points.  
  
Thousand Eyes Idol: /0/0/ Spellcaster Type  
  
Fusion: MAGIC/Desc: Fuse 2 or more monsters together into a new fusion monster.  
  
Thousand Eyes Restrict: /0/0/Spellcaster /Desc: :"Relinquished" "Thousand-Eyes Idol" As long as this card remains face-up on the Field, other monsters cannot change their positions or attack. This monster can take on the ATK and DEF of 1 opponent's monster on the Field (a face-down monster results in an ATK and DEF of 0). Treat the selected monster as an Equip Magic Card and use it to equip "Thousand-Eyes Restrict". You may use this effect only once per turn and can equip "Thousand-Eyes Restrict" with only 1 monster at a time.  
  
Spell Exploration: QUICK PLAY MAGIC/Desc: Both players may add one spell card to their hands from their deck or graveyard.  
  
White Dragon Ritual: RITUAL MAGIC/Desc: This card is used to Ritual Summon "Paladin of White Dragon". You must also offer monsters whose total Level Stars equal 4 or more as a Tribute from the field or your hand.  
  
Paladin of White Dragon: /1900/1200/ Warrior /Desc: This monster can only be Ritual Summoned with the Ritual Spell Card "White Dragon Ritual". You must also offer monsters whose total Level Stars equal 4 or more as a Tribute from the field or your hand. When this monster attacks a face-down Defense Position monster, destroy the face-down monster immediately with this card's effect without flipping it face-up or damage calculation. You can Special Summon 1 "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" from your hand or your deck by offering this card as a Tribute during your Main Phase. (Blue-Eyes White Dragon cannot attack that turn.)  
  
Blue Eyes White Dragon: /3000/2500/Dragon Type  
  
Temporary Pitfall: TRAP/Desc: Select one monster on your opponent's side of the field. Until your opponent's next standby phase, the selected monster is removed from play.  
  
Dark Rabbit: /1100/1500/ Fiend Type  
  
Skill Drain: TRAP/Desc: Pay 1000 Life Points. As long as this card remains face-up on the field, negate the effects of all face-up Effect Monsters on the field.  
  
Trap Thief: TRAP/Desc: Activate this card when your opponent attacks. Activate one trap card when your opponent's graveyard.  
  
Negate Attack: TRAP/Desc: When your opponent attacks with a monster, negate the attack, and make your opponent's battle phase end.  
  
Silent Dead: MAGIC/Desc: Special summon one monster from your graveyard to the field in face-up defense position. The summoned monster cannot attack as long as it is face-up on the field.  
  
Bomb Soldier: /200/1450/ Warrior/ Desc: During the turn this card goes to the graveyard, select one monster on your opponent's side of the field and decrease its ATK and DEF by 1000. Pay 500 life points during your standby phase. If you cannot, this card's effect is deactivated.  
  
Riryoku: MAGIC/Desc: Until the end of the turn, decrease the ATK of 1 monster by half and increase the ATK of another monster by the same amount.  
  
Meteor Shower: MAGIC/Desc: During the turn this card is activated, if a monster is sent to the graveyard as a result of battle, remove the monster from play. Also, all monster cards of the same name in your opponent's deck, graveyard, hand, or side of the field are removed from play.  
  
Rain of Mercy: MAGIC/Desc: Both players' life points increase by 1000.  
  
Attack Guidance Armor: TRAP/Desc: When your opponent attacks, switch the target of the attack to another monster on the field.  
  
Shielding Wheel: TRAP/Desc: You may only activate this card when an attack's target has been switched. Negate any battle damage during the turn this card is activated. During the End Phase of when this card is activated, you and your opponent's life points increase by the amount of all battle damage that would have been taken this turn.  
  
Magic Factory: QUICK PLAY MAGIC/Desc: This card may be activated during any phase. Discard your entire hand. Place the top 6 magic cards from your deck to your hand. LIMIT: ONE PER DECK  
  
Peace Treaty: MAGIC/Desc: Destroy all cards on your opponent's side of the field. Your opponent then selects one monster from his or her deck and special summons it to the field in face-down defense position. During the turn this card is activated, the controller of this card may only attack with one monster. LIMIT: ONE PER DECK  
  
Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon: /4500/3800/ Dragon/Fusion Type /Desc: "Blue Eyes White Dragon" "Blue Eyes White Dragon" "Blue Eyes White Dragon"  
  
Parasitic Virus: /1600/1300/ Aqua/ Desc: When this card is attacked in face-down defense position, send all monster and trap cards from your opponent's deck to the graveyard. A monster attacking this card's ATK is reduced to this monster's defense.  
  
Mega Fuse Polymerization: MAGIC/Desc: Remove fusion material monsters from your graveyard to your remove from game to summon a fusion monster of the fusion material monsters removed from the game from your fusion deck.  
  
Dimension Fusion: MAGIC/Desc: Pay 2000 Life Points. Both players Special Summon as many of their monsters as possible that have been removed from play. 


	29. Rebirth of Ra, Part 1

Disclaimer: See Chapter 28 for details  
  
**Chapter 29: Rebirth of Ra, Part I**  
  
The gang turned around to see, an unfamiliar duelist. He was rather tall, had brown hair, and was quite muscular. No one knew exactly what to say to him, however, luckily, no one would. The man walked directly past the gang to another duelist that was behind them. The two duelists began arguing over....something, the gang wasn't paying attention. They rounded the corner onto the dueling site of Kaiba and Pegasus. About 85% of the crowd was gone, however, the gang stopped at a small gift shop to view the items inside.  
  
Kaiba, on the other hand, was 15 feet away from his rival, but heading the incorrect direction. He stared at the card that brought him victory, but barely. A faint wind began to blow from the north, Kaiba covered his face, and Obelisk flew out of his hand, and a Blue Eyes White Dragon, from the very top of his deck, flew into his hand. Obelisk hit the ground silently, so Kaiba didn't even notice (like he would have), and he slipped "Obelisk" into his deck holster, or what he thought was Obelisk. He walked off rather quickly without a care in the world.  
  
The gang approached the last known location of Kaiba, only to find...nothing. Before they walked off, however, Yugi noticed something from the corner of his eye. He checked it out, and discovered it was Obelisk!  
  
(No way!) he thought to his spiritual partner.  
  
(Yes aibou, it seems as if something happened here. We should return the card to Kaiba immediately.) though the former Pharaoh to Yugi.  
  
(Right) mentally replied Yugi.  
  
"Yugi, is that what I think it is?" asked Joey, snatching the card from his friend.  
  
"Whoa guys, check it out! Kaiba left his God Card here!" Joey smiled to his friends.  
  
"Are you serious man? It's not like Kaiba to let strong cards out of his sight." Tristan answered.  
  
"Yeah, I know! But finders keepers, losers..." began the anxious Joey, as Yugi retook Obelisk.  
  
"Joey, we should give this back to Kaiba." Yugi suggested.  
  
"Ahh fine! He'll need it when he goes against Joey Wheeler!" proudly declared Joey, pointing at himself.  
  
"So does this mean you're going to challenge Kaiba?" questioned Anzu. Joey froze on the spot. "Guess no." she assumed.  
  
The gang was heading south, as they passed through several Kaiba Corporation buildings; however, the president was not in any of them. They reached the Domino Pier and a voice cried out. "Yugi Muto! You and I duel now!" the voice sprang, which everyone recognized as a female's. They viewed a shadowy figure flip down from the Pier sign, landing on one leg, and one knee. She stood up, brushed herself off with greatness, and pointed directly towards Yugi. "We duel now!" she declared as she whipped out a remote control, pushing buttons, sealing the way on both sides of the Domino Pier shut. "The way is shut. The only way to leave is by winning, somehow, a duel against me! Loser loses his rarest card." She declared, holding up a Hexac Rudy. Yugi showed her his Black Magician.  
  
"Do you accept?" she asked, Duel Disk fully loaded. Yugi did the same.  
  
"I accept!" Yugi sternly announced. (I guess Kaiba'll have to wait to receive Obelisk.)  
  
(Perfect! Now that the terms are agreed to, I believe that the fun will begin!) thought the lady.  
  
Yugi took the opportunity to study her. She was dressed in a white coat with white go-go boots, and diamonds covered most of her clothing, spaced exactly at the same space from any other diamond, so the job must have cost her millions of dollars.  
  
"By the way, a formal introduction, I'm the Queen of Diamonds, the last duelist you'll ever face!" the queen introduced herself, looking at the water below.  
  
(Queen of Diamonds? Either she's part of some Rare Hunter-type squad, or she's just a psycho.) contemplated Yugi. However, it didn't matter, he was going to duel her all the same. However, before the duel, Yugi reached into his pocket and pulled out Obelisk. He pulled out the top two cards in his deck, Obelisk, and the Devil's Sanctuary. Something told him he was going to need these cards. His vision became less and less clearer, and he witnessed a tablet. Ra was glowing a golden color, as if the real card had been summoned. Obelisk glowed blue in color, and then a white blinding light ensued. When the light faded, Yugi's vision ended.  
  
(What could that have been? Ra and Obelisk colliding? I don't even own those two cards anymore. Could I be right, that she is working with a group, and they have managed to get their hands on Ra? I hope not, but just in case, Obelisk and Devil's Sanctuary are going into my deck.) pondered Yugi, slipping the two cards in as his deck holster automatically shuffled his dueling deck.  
  
Both duelists held up their duel disks and yelled in unison, "Duel!" Both life point counters raced to 4000. Yugi drew 5 cards, along with the Queen of Diamonds. She rudely drew a sixth card as well.  
  
The Queen of Diamonds carefully looked over her hand. Everything was going according to her plans. In her hands she held the most powerful card to be created in Duel Monsters, Ra itself. Sure, it was her most powerful and rarest card, however Yugi had been deceived. Two things were on the line here. First, she had promised her rarest card, which was in fact Ra. On the contrary, the second thing she promised was her rarest card was Hexac Rudy. Yugi had agreed to take Hexac Rudy if she lost. But she quickly shook these thoughts out of her head. Her deck's theme was all centered on Ra, so she would never lose.  
  
"I call to the field Quick Leech (500/1200)!" sprang the Queen as her little insect leech appeared on the field. "Attack Yugi's life points at once!" she commanded as the insect raced to Yugi and holographically bit him on the arm. (Y's LP: 3500) Yugi didn't need to ask how that move was possible, since he had come in contact with the card before, way back at The Battle City Finals. It was Malik's opening move of the final round. His vision's purpose was becoming clearer. She began with the same card he did. Now Yugi was positive he'd be facing Ra sooner or later.  
  
"Now, I'm sure you're well aware of my leech's special ability! I can discard one card from my hand to instantly shift it into defense mode!" the Queen of Diamonds broke Yugi's concentration, glancing at her hand. She noticed Ra and deposited it into her graveyard slot. "I'll use this card! Switch to defensive mode my Quick Leech!" commanded the Queen as her leech shielded itself with its rows of feelers. "I'll set one card face down and end my move."  
  
Yugi drew. (This is too weird. I want to summon a powerful monster, but I think I should just replay things as they were at Battle City. If she does follow the exact same strategy Malik did, at least I should emerge victorious) thought the child as he decided to unlock the essence in his puzzle. The Pharaoh now stood before the Queen of Diamonds.  
  
"So, he shows himself" interestedly spoke the queen.  
  
Yami didn't bother to reply. Instead he spoke these words. "I summon Queen's Knight (1500/1600) in attack mode! Queen's Knight, slice up his Quick Leech!" commanded Yugi as the female knight unsheathed her sword, slicing up the insect with one powerful vertical swipe.  
  
(I wonder what the face down card is. It must be something that can summon Ra; however, I can't exactly what card Malik used against me. Augh! I've fought so many duels since Malik; this is the only part I can remember, except the ending. I just hope fate is on my side today...) sighed Yugi, as he set two cards on the field.  
  
"I end my turn after setting these two cards." He announced. Queen of Diamonds, didn't care, so she drew.  
  
"Time to exterminate your pitiful fairy soldier! Go, Juragedo! (1700/1300) attack the Queen's Knight now!" she instructed, motioning at the target. The demon leapt into the air, and brought down two thunderous blows, knocking away the poor female warrior. (**Y's LP: 3300**). "I'll complete my turn by setting these two cards, you know, to knock you off your feet."  
  
Yugi drew and glanced over the field. (She's got 3 face down cards, and one God Card, but I wonder, did she discard it to the graveyard, is it in or hand, or does she still need to draw it. I hope it's not the first two, or I'm in trouble) thought Yugi.  
  
However, hearing the Queen of Diamonds shout, "Reveal trap!" broke his concentration. "Go! Trade Your Left Arm! Now I am able to discard my hand to select one card from my deck and place it in my hand!" she explained as she manually searched her deck and chose the right card. She had no trouble showing it to Yugi, as it was soon going to cause his defeat. Yugi instantly realized she put the one card that could actually defeat him. She selected her Raise Dead magic card. She showed it to him, wanting to see the look of fear in his eyes as the Queen of Diamonds imagined Ra standing behind her, waiting to bear the commands she ordered to it. The Sun Dragon would finally defeat the Pharaoh! However, to her surprise, the Pharaoh's look was not one of fear, but one of pleasure. He chuckled slightly.  
  
"I'm afraid I miss the humor, Pharaoh!" Queen of Diamonds yelled. "Is there anything funny in the next turn when you are consumed by the darkness next turn. Oh, did I forget to mention, loser "wins" a free trip to the Shadow Realm. Like I need to pack." She smirked, a hint of sarcasm in her tone.  
  
"I'll easily agree to those terms, because I know I won't lose. However, we have a duel to finish! Now, your Raise Dead won't be reviving Ra! Because I'm about to take it away from you, watch as I activate Exchange!" he smiled as his magic card activated. Queen of Diamonds gasped at the sudden change of events, and growled a death growl towards the Pharaoh, who was walking into the middle of the playing field, taking the Raise Dead.  
  
"Now it's your turn to pick something" reminded the Pharaoh. Queen of Diamonds angrily snatched De-Fusion out of his hand. They returned to their original sides of the field.  
  
"Don't think I won't defeat you! You've just prolonged your defeat. Ra will arise to destroy the mighty Pharaoh!" wickedly laughed the Queen of Diamonds. Tristan, Anzu, and Joey were in awe at this, while the Pharaoh growled. His vision, his suspicion, and his intuition were all dead on. Ra would indeed his in this duel.  
  
"Ra..." thought Joey to the first and last time he faced the card, only to have nearly died and have his soul eaten by the shadows. The Pharaoh completely ignored Queen of Diamond's cackle, but continued his move.  
  
"I'll finish my move by summoning the King's Knight! (1600/1400)." He declared as a man appeared on the field, holding a strong sword and carrying a small shield.  
  
"Man! Yugi stuck it to him!" Tristan cheered on the sidelines.  
  
"I don't know." Joey interrupted. "Look at her face. Even though she lost her Raise Dead card, she's pretty calm. She's got to have something planned, and since the only card in her hand is De-Fusion, and you can only have one Raise Dead per deck, it has to do something with those two face down cards. I just hope Yugi can summon one of his God Cards before she can summon hers. Luckily for Yugi, he won't feel Ra's attack nearly as bad as I did." He remembered what it felt like, back when Malik unleashed the full power of Ra on Joey. He felt like his soul was being set on fire, and then painfully dragged out of his body. It was a shock to his soul he'd never forget. He shuddered just remembering about it.  
  
Back at the duel, the Queen of Diamonds was anxiously waiting for Yugi to slip up, so that she'd be summoning Ra. "All I need is for him to play one card, and that will be the downfall of Yugi!" she smirked.  
  
"Next!" interrupted her thoughts. She tuned back into reality to watch the Pharaoh make his next move, hoping it was the card that would cause his downfall.  
  
"Activate _your_ Raise Dead! I'll use the card to revive Queen's Knight!" declared Yugi as the female exploded out of the Raise Dead card, and its hologram disappeared. Yugi then tossed the card to Queen of Diamonds to place in her graveyard, which she did, it being her Raise Dead.  
  
(That's exactly the slip up you did. Now you have King's Knight and Queen's Knight on the field. I know you'll summon Jack's Knight, but what will you do from there, Pharaoh? My two face down cards will stop you in your tracks. I know it.) The Queen of Diamonds slyly smiled to herself, waiting impatiently for the Pharaoh's turn to conclude.  
  
"With both Queen's Knight and King's Knight on the field, I am able to special summon a Jack's Knight (1900/1200) from my deck!" explained the Pharaoh as the image of the Jack Knight's card appeared on the field, followed by the tall, muscular soldier covered in his blue armor emerging from the card.  
  
"Look! Yugi's got three monsters on the field! As soon as he draws a God Card, he'll be able to summon it!" applauded Anzu.  
  
"Wait. That's just the one problem. Out of 50 cards in his deck, Yugi's chance of drawing a God Card is 4%." Joey cautioned.  
  
"Well, anything's better than 0%." Tristan optimistically commented.  
  
The Queen of Diamonds was laughing to herself. Her Juragedo had 1700 attack points, 200 less than the Jack's Knight. It could destroy it with one swipe of his sword, clearing the way for 3100 points of direct damage. That is, if Yugi could somehow manage to evade her face down cards. She decided to use an old tactic. "Come on Pharaoh! The shadows are starving for you. I shouldn't disappoint them! It doesn't matter how long it takes. I can defeat you in 5 minutes, one hour; really it's up to you! However, I have other pieces of business to attend to today, like defeating your so called ally, Bakura. Then, once I obtain the Millennium Ring, I'll head to Seto Kaiba, using Ra and my millennium item to strip him of Obelisk! I shall deliver these to my leader, so that he will gain the powers of the once almighty Pharaoh. He will own the 7 most powerful objects on earth, and control the 3 mightiest beings ever to walk it!" she cackled once more.  
  
"However," she slyly added, "don't be frightened Pharaoh. Your monster's can lower my life points down to 700, so why don't you just come on and attack me!" she disconcerted.  
  
(I don't know. Normally I would attack, but in a duel of this magnitude, I can't risk it. One of those cards may even let her summon Ra back to the field. I just can't risk it) thought Yugi. "I'll end my turn now." He reluctantly announced.  
  
"Why didn't Yugi attack??" burst Tristan.  
  
"Check out the field, man. The Queen of Diamonds has two set cards, and one monster with low attack strength. One of those two cards has got to be a trap, and Yugi can't afford to mess up in this game."  
  
(So, his fear has saved him to see another turn) supposed the Queen of Diamonds. She drew. "I'll set one card face down. You know, Pharaoh, I feel sorry for you. I know you don't hold a God Card in your hand! It must be boring, waiting and waiting until you one of two cards in your deck. And who knows, by the time that happens, Ra may have cast you into the darkness already, so just for fun; I'll give you a present. Activate magic card, Card of Sanctity, causing both of us to draw until we have six cards in our hand." She coolly explained, drawing 5 cards while Yugi drew 3. "Now I'll switch my Juragedo into defense mode and end my turn."  
  
The Pharaoh swiftly drew his next card. (Let's see. Battle City rules apply to this tournament, so you only get one Raise Dead in a deck, but as long as you hold that card, anything is possible!) Joey wondered watching his best friend relive a nightmare no one ever wanted to relive.  
  
The Pharaoh stared at his card and smirked. "It seems your present has done just what I need it to do! It gave me 6 cards in my hand, so now I summon this! First, I'll sacrifice Queen's Knight, King's Knight, and Jack's Knight!" he announced as his three monsters morphed into essences, floating high above the pier. "Next, I'll summon one of my Egyptian Gods, The Saint Dragon, God of Osiris!" Yugi completed, as the Duel Disk emitted an aura. A black shadow could be seen, covering the field. A red snakelike body was visible next, and down flew one of the three most powerful cards. The Queen of Diamonds looked straight at the monster. Its long, snakelike body, four rows of massive, myriad teeth and horrible yellow eyes that spelt doom to anyone facing this monster.  
  
"With your very generous courtesy, Osiris' attack is 6000 attack points strong! Your lucky you have a monster defending your life points, but next turn the whole story is different" shouted Yugi, his god monster ready to obey any command given to it.  
  
"Look! Yugi's going to win! His monster has 6000 attack points!" Anzu cheered.  
  
"Take it to him hard, Yugi!" added Tristan.  
  
"I know you can do this. Show this fashion freak what a true duelist can do!" Joey included. Yugi nodded to Joey as a reply.  
  
"You've heard my friends! It's time to see the action now! Osiris the Saint Dragon! Attack the Juragedo with your Thunder Force attack!" commanded the Pharaoh, pointing at the target. The dragon instantly obeyed, opening its inferior level mouth, and forming a large yellow sphere of lightning. The dragon then unleashed a stream of lightning crashing down onto the field towards Juragedo.  
  
"Fool! Now you will see the true power of Ra! Reverse magic card, Dark Magic Revival!" laughed the Queen of Diamonds as the attack was temporarily negated.  
  
"Joey, any idea what that card does?" questioned Tristan.  
  
"Yeah, and unfortunately, its not good for Yugi. Gramps told me about this card before. It lets the "Queen" here activate one magic card from her graveyard, but at the end of the turn, it goes into Yugi's graveyard" explained Joey, worrying for his friend's safety.  
  
"But she doesn't have a card to activate" commented Anzu.  
  
"That's right. Her revival card is the first magic card she's played all duel." Tristan added. Joey struck his chin in thought as the trio wondered what card it could be. Suddenly, it all struck them straight on the head.  
  
"Raise Dead!" they shouted in unison.  
  
The Queen of Diamonds noticed their outburst. "Your friends have it correct, Pharaoh! Dark Magic Revival, activate Raise Dead from my graveyard!" instructed the Queen of Diamonds as the magic card morphed into Raise Dead. The symbol on the card came out, and turned red. The winds began to pick up, and two golden wings could be seen. Soon, the rest of a golden dragon's body began to come into view. It unleashed a powerful roar upon entering the playing field. The Pharaoh laughed.  
  
"What happens to be so funny? Ra has arisen, and you will soon fall!" she reminded the Pharaoh.  
  
"You've overlooked Osiris' special ability!" he replied, pointing at his massive dragon, who unleashed a stream of purple energy aimed for Ra. "My dragon instantly subtracts 2000 attack points from Ra, so Ra will be destroyed! You wasted a perfectly good magic card" commented the Pharaoh, while the blast made its way to Ra.  
  
"Not exactly" responded the Queen of Diamonds as the attack hit Ra. Smoke vanished from the field in seconds to see Ra still standing, not a scratch made by Osiris. "In this turn, Ra is immune to all attacks! You'll be forced to watch and see as I use Ra's God Phoenix to burn up your monsters, and ultimately you!" she laughed, the Pharaoh growled, and Yugi's friends overlooked, worried for his safety.  
  
**CARDS PLAYED**   
  
Quick Leech: /500/1200/ Insect/ Desc: At the end of a turn in which this card does Battle Damage to your opponent; you can discard 1 card from your hand to change this card's mode. Also, this card can attack during the first turn.  
  
Queen's Knight: /1500/1600/ Warrior Type  
  
Juragedo: /1700/1300/ Demon Type  
  
Trade Your Left Arm: TRAP/Desc: Discard your entire hand. Place one card from your deck into your hand.  
  
Exchange: Both players show their hands to each other. You both select 1 card from each other's hand and add it to your own. When the cards are sent to the Graveyard, they are placed in the Graveyard of the original owner.  
  
Raise Dead: Select 1 Monster Card from either your opponent's or your own Graveyard and place it on the field under your control in Attack or Defense Position (face-up). This is considered a Special Summon.  
  
King's Knight: /1600/1400/ Warrior/ Desc: When this card and "Queen's Knight" are face up on the field, you may special summon one "Jack's Knight" from your hand, deck, or graveyard to the field.  
  
Jack's Knight: /1900/1200/ Warrior Type  
  
Card of Sanctity: MAGIC/Desc: Both players draw from their decks until they are holding 6 cards in their respective hands.  
  
Dark Magic Revival: QUICK PLAY MAGIC/Desc: You can activate this card when an opponent's Monster attacks. Activate 1 Magic card from your Cemetery. At the end of the turn, put that card into your opponent's Cemetery. 


	30. Rebirth of Ra, Part 2: Clash! God vs God

Disclaimer: See Chapter 29 for details  
  
**Chapter 30: Rebirth of Ra, Part 2: Clash! God vs. God  
**  
The score was Yugi: 3200, Queen of Diamonds: 4000. While Queen of Diamonds had managed to get Ra in the graveyard, and her Raise Dead magic card in her hand, Yugi managed to activate Exchange, exchanging Raise Dead for De- Fusion. Then, after summoning King's Knight, activating Raise Dead to revive Queen's Knight, and summoning Jack's Knight, he sacrificed the knights to summon Osiris. However, when he attacked, Queen of Diamonds activated a powerful magic card, activating Raise Dead from the graveyard and reviving Ra!  
  
"Give it up Pharaoh! I'll make you a deal, you surrender, and I won't burn you with Ra!" offered the Queen of Diamonds.  
  
"I'll never surrender to the likes of you!" strongly retorted the Pharaoh.  
  
Queen of Diamonds shrugged her soldiers. "Suit yourself, however, Ra won't be so forgiving."  
  
On the sidelines, Yugi's friends looked on frightened for their friend. Everyone remembered when Mai and Joey went up against Ra, and both fell to the power of Ra. Joey was knocked unconscious for a while, while Mai spent over half the tournament locked away within the Shadow Realm.  
  
"Guys this is really bad." Joey said, looking at his friends frightened faces.  
  
"What do you mean? Yugi has a God Card to, and his actually has attack points!" Tristan pointed out.  
  
"That may be true and all, but remember last time when I fought Ra? It had 0 attack points, and wiped out my Gilford the Lightning, a monster with 2800 attack points. If this "Queen of Diamonds" lady is smart, she'll use Ra's Phoenix mode, and burn up Yugi's monster by paying 1000 life points" cautiously reminded Joey. "It'll be ok Yugi! At least you're not fightin' in the Shadow Realm!"  
  
"But she can't really burn up Yugi's Osiris, it's a God Card too, right Joey?" nervously asked Tristan.  
  
"I don't know exactly how these Egyptian Gods work, but I just hope Ra's strength isn't as powerful as it is in the Shadow Realm, or it can burn of all of Yugi's strength" Joey answered.  
  
break  
  
"Remember, Ra is immune to all of your attacks this turn!" Queen of Diamonds reminded the Pharaoh.  
  
"Don't worry, I didn't forget! Because I'm not going to attack Ra, I'm using my dragon's special ability! Use your Summon Lightning Impact!" commanded the Pharaoh as Osiris' superior jaw dropped open. It charged a purple and white sphere of energy, launching it and a stream of energy at Ra. Ra harmlessly created a magical barrier surrounding itself, as the stream of energy was repelled by the barrier, exploding into space and saving Ra.  
  
"Do you think the mightiest card in all of Duel Monsters would ever fall to one of your pathetic attempts to destroy it? Ra will never be destroyed by your monsters!" Queen of Diamonds laughed. "And to think that the Pharaoh of all people would know..." she sighed. She began to chant some Ancient Egyptian words. A few of them sounded familiar to the Pharaoh, however, she was chanting at such a rapid pace, he could barely make out a few. Ra began to emit a golden fire from its mouth, covering its entire body. Then the dragon's body began to morph from solid dragon into pure fire dragon. Its legs, arms, head all became nothing but fire in its purest form.  
  
"Next, I'll pay 1000 life points to invoke the ability of Ra in Phoenix mode! (**Q's LP: 3000**) Burn Osiris!" commanded Queen of Diamonds, pointing at her target. Ra then gathered up a myriad of energy. It transformed the energy into pure golden fire. It unleashed a strong blast, completely surrounding Yugi's side of the field. The Pharaoh was overwhelmed by the flames and screamed in the blaze. Little Yugi, inside the Millennium Puzzle, somehow also felt Ra's attack.  
  
"Hold on Yugi!" mentally warned the Pharaoh.  
  
"Can he really destroy another God card with Ra's effect? I mean, Osiris is immune to monster effects right?" Tristan questioned on the sidelines. No one responded. They were all glued to the match, wondering what would happen. Out of the corner of her eye, Anzu noticed a large crowd forming outside the gates watching the duel. Everyone was in awe at the power of Ra.  
  
Back in the duel, the Pharaoh was forced to close his eyes as smoke inundated the arena. It dispersed rather quickly, and the Pharaoh opened his eyes to see Osiris completely melted. The God monster shattered to pieces, being sent to the graveyard. However, the Pharaoh was too worried about his vessel to notice.  
  
(Yugi, are you alright?) mentally communicated the Pharaoh.  
  
(I'll manage, but our God Card is gone) replied Yugi from inside the Millennium Puzzle.  
  
(We only have one God left) declared the Pharaoh, ready to return the duel.  
  
"That was so much fun! Except, now, sadly, my turn ends, Ra returns to the graveyard and your Raise Dead returns to your graveyard...or does it?" snickered Queen of Diamonds.  
  
"What are you talking about? It's the rules of your magic card!" the Pharaoh responded.  
  
"However, the rules of my trap card allow me to alter that! Zombie's Jewel, activate!" she sprang as the trap card glowed. "Now your Raise Dead magic card returns to my hand!" as the card shot out of her graveyard and she added it to her hand, stroking it lovingly. "And next turn, I'll use Ra's One Turn Kill to annihilate you" she smirked. "Oh, but before I forget, you are allowed to draw one card, courtesy of my Zombie's Jewel trap."  
  
Yugi stared at his deck. He had no monsters to defend him, and was going to be facing the ultimate monster when he ended his turn. "Will this card save my life, or cause me to spend my last days in darkness?" wondered the Pharaoh. "Fate is sleeping in these cards. Now fate, awake!"  
  
Kaiba, who was watching Yugi's duel live via KaibaCorp. satellite. "Interesting scenario. Ra has emerged, and Yugi's Osiris has easily been overcome. Yugi may think he has the upper hand, however, she's already managed to use Raise Dead, and in her next turn, she will use it again. How will Yugi combat this?" he wondered.  
  
"Ha! I wonder if Yugi kept the Devil's Sanctuary card I gave him way back at my Battle City tournament. If not, he's already lost. Unless he can summon a monster with more than 1700 defense points, then Ra's One Turn Kill will destroy Yugi. What will you do now Yugi?" kept pondering Kaiba.  
  
"Yugi has no monsters to defend him. He's got to do something this turn!" pointed out Anzu.  
  
"Well there's one good thing. At least the God Phoenix can't be activated, can it? It only targets monsters, right Joey?" asked Tristan.  
  
"That's right man, but I bet you anything in the world that Ra has more powerful abilities than just wiping out monsters. Looks like Yugi gets to face it during the next turn. Is there anyway to defeat it?" questioned Joey.  
  
"You know, I think I'll show you something..." told the Queen of Diamonds. She revealed a golden necklace from her pocket. It shimmered in the light of the sun, and it had an Eye of Horus carved onto its surface. The Pharaoh instantly recognized this object as the Millennium Tauk (Necklace).  
  
"Hey! You! What'd you do to Isis?" angrily asked Joey.  
  
"It's a prize I won from defeat that fool, Isis, who is now being swallowed by the darkness. She's losing her mind, her soul, and no one will be able to save her! She was weak, she may be the daughter of the greatest tomb keeping family ever, but however, she shouldn't have been. Her weak fairy monsters were nothing compared to Ra. I didn't even need it to defeat her. However, I wanted to ensure her the greatest suffering possible, so I played it. And you should have seen how she reacted" laughed the Queen of Diamonds, an evil, vile, cruel laugh.  
  
"I was so enthralled by her destruction at the hands of Ra, I think I'll allow you to see it, first hand!" announced the Queen of Diamonds, as the Millennium Tauk began to glow. A golden sphere filled the middle of the arena as a vision was being presented. The Pharaoh carefully looked into it, and saw Isis being struck down by Ra's tremendous power. Ra launched an immense golden energy beam, effortlessly knocking away Isis' defensive monsters, but striking her down painfully. The vision ended and the sphere faded. "Next turn that happens to you" she warned.  
  
The Pharaoh tried to fight tears in his eyes. "How dare you hurt them? When will your madness end? How many others have you destroyed with Ra? How dare you hurt Isis! You'll pay!" he declared.  
  
"Talk all you want, you pathetic fool. There's nothing that will save you from the havoc that is Ra!" the Queen of Diamonds deemed.  
  
The Pharaoh's heart was beating at a rapid pace. "This card must be the card I need it to be. Kaiba once gave me a card to combat Ra's One Turn Kill, and I must draw it now!" he preached to himself, as he closed his eyes and touched his deck. At that moment, a glistening light flashed across the sky, as everyone except Yugi watched the marvelous appearance. It soon left the sky as soon as Yugi began to pull out the card from his deck holster.  
  
(Yugi...His deck....it must be where all the souls are gathered) thought Joey, keep fighting, he thought to his best friend. The Pharaoh swiftly snatched the card from the holster. Without opening his eyes, he set the card in a magic or trap slot.  
  
"I set this card face down," he opened his eyes, "and I'll end my turn" declared the Pharaoh. The Queen of Diamonds jaw dropped at this. She just stared at her opponent.  
  
"How can he do that?" burst Tristan. "He didn't even look at it!"  
  
"What's going on, guys? How did Yugi even do that?" Anzu questioned.  
  
"Interesting..." thought Joey. "Can Yugi show us a miracle?"  
  
Queen of Diamonds laughed a wicked laugh. "Has the pressure finally gotten to you, Pharaoh? It's the last draw you'll ever make. You should take a good look at it, for a souvenir of course." She smiled.  
  
"It's your move" announced the Pharaoh.  
  
"So it is" Queen of Diamonds responded as she drew her card. "I won't let Yugi lose by breaking the rules...I'll make him suffer, which is always much more fun" smirked the diamond covered woman as she held up a card in her hand.  
  
"I believe you know what comes next," she snickered, "I activate the resurrection powers of Raise Dead, revive Ra from the graveyard!" the monster's two golden wings first emerged out of the Raise Dead symbol, as the winds picked up. The golden dragon with its massive jewel and deadly red eyes burst from the card, emitting a golden light across the horizon. The crowd was in awe at the sight of the monster. However, the Queen of Diamonds was too busy thinking about the defeat of the Pharaoh to even notice the crowd behind her.  
  
She began to cross her arms before her, and chanted more Egyptian words. Even though the Pharaoh could not decipher the words, he could notice they were different than the last set of words. Ra began to glow a mystic color and a vibrant light filled the pier. The Pharaoh struggled to witness what was happening. "Open your eyes and let this scene be sealed in your mind!" the Queen of Diamonds roared as the light faded and Queen of Diamonds' body began to dissolve away in flames before Ra.  
  
"I've invoked a power of Ra, a power that allows me to fuse with my almighty creature!" the Queen of Diamonds explained as she appeared within the sky blue jewel on Ra's forehead. "Now I'm able to give up all my life points, except one, to feed to Ra!" Ra's attack power shot to 2999. (**Q's LP: 1**) "However, Pharaoh, that's not all I will do! Ra also allows me to sacrifice other monsters to increase its power by their attack power! Juragedo, I sacrifice you to Ra!" she thrust her arm at her monster, instantly consumed by the flames of Ra. The monster melted until its essence was remaining, which then entered Ra's jewel, merging with the dragon. Ra's attack climbed to 4699.  
  
"This is the One Turn Kill, Pharaoh! You're finished!" the Queen of Diamonds announced.  
  
"Yugi's only got 3300 life points left! If Ra attacks him directly, he'll lose the duel!" exclaimed Joey.  
  
Kaiba was quite interested in the duel. Yugi lost Osiris already, and who knows where Obelisk would be? Even if Yugi managed to summon Obelisk to the field, Ra would crush it as soon as the dragon stepped onto the field. However, there is no way Yugi would survive this turn, unless, he set the one card that could let him live to see another turn.  
  
"The Queen of Diamonds has played a quite interesting strategy. She's set Yugi up from the beginning; getting Ra into her graveyard, and having countless ways to get a Raise Dead magic card, and at the same time whittling down Yugi's monsters into ash, and getting his life points low enough for Ra to destroy in one attack. I wonder, if that face down card is in fact, the magic card to destroy Ra." Kaiba pondered. "If it is the card I've given to Yugi, I want him to show me a miracle."  
  
"Go Ra! Let us annihilate the Pharaoh together! Attack!" commanded the Queen of Diamonds as Ra gathered golden molecules of sun energy in its mouth. The energy then was converted into fire, as the golden sun dragon unleashed a stream of golden fire aimed directly at the Pharaoh.  
  
"Activate magic card!" called the Pharaoh. "Devil's Sanctuary!" Everyone, including the Queen of Diamonds, gasped at this. How could Yugi know what the card was without even looking at it?  
  
"The moment I touched this card on my deck, I felt Kaiba's soul in it" thought the Pharaoh, as if mentally answering everyone's question.  
  
"How did Yugi draw that card? The odds were impossible!" considered Kaiba, shocked at the turn of events that could be. "He has showed me a miracle."  
  
As Devil Sanctuary activated, a wind began to pick up around the pier. Though it was not nearly as powerful as Ra's entrance wind, it was a force to be reckoned with. A hexagram symbol formed on the Pharaoh's side of the field, and a magic symbol rose out of the hexagram, transforming itself into a small metal gargoyle, made of reflective beads. The Queen of Diamonds was shocked to see his monster appear on the field.  
  
"Look, Queen of Diamonds, I have created a Metal Devil Token! My monster's attack power is equal to your life points (Metal Devil: 1/0)!" the Pharaoh began to explain, until he was cut off by the queen.  
  
"Like that will save you! Your monster has a worthless attack of 1, and since he was summoned to the field in attack mode, you'll lose 4698 life points, still placing you at 0. Your only reason to summon that thing, not even worthy to be called a monster, must have been so you can prolong your defeat! Ra, continue your attack!" she commanded as the golden stream of fire once again launched, this time its target being the Metal Devil Token.  
  
"Things aren't always what they seem. For my token also possesses the ability of damage reflect, all battle damage I take from this attack is transferred to you! So I won't lose any life points, you'll lose your only one! Ra will destroy you, and since it's too late to call back your attack, you can only wait until Ra annihilates you!" the Pharaoh completed as the fireball hit the token. Smoke engulfed the arena briefly. The Pharaoh believed he had defeated the Queen of Diamonds. However, to his dismay, when the smoke cleared, the Metal Devil Token was still on the field. The Queen of Diamonds was now standing before Ra, fully unharmed.  
  
"What happened?" questioned the Pharaoh.  
  
"It seems your little card worked against you! Remember when you activated your Exchange, giving me your De-Fusion magic card? It just saved me, ironically." The Queen of Diamonds smiled as the magic card flipped up. "Not only did your magic card end my attack, keep your token on the field, and separate the fusion between myself and Ra, it also canceled out Ra's One Turn Kill effects, giving me back the 4699 attack points it had to my life points! (**Q's LP: 4700**)  
  
"I'm safe for now" thought the Pharaoh, "but so is she, and now thanks to my own magic card, she's stronger than ever. However, that gives me a plan" he smiled.  
  
"Devil's Sanctuary wasn't only for stopping Ra's attack" thought Kaiba, "will Yugi know what else to do with it?"  
  
Back at the duel, Queen of Diamonds reluctantly ended her turn after setting one card on the field, so Ra returned to the graveyard along with the Raise Dead magic card.  
  
"This is bad, because if she can get her hands on Raise Dead again, she'll be able to revive Ra again, and I doubt Yugi will be able to count on the Metal Devil Token to defend him" declared Joey.  
  
"Do something!" Tristan urged Yugi.  
  
Yugi drew. "Let's see. In order to keep my Metal Devil Token on the field, I must pay 1000 life points every standby phase. That's a hefty price, especially in a duel of this magnitude and a duel against Ra. If my strategy works successfully, that price will pay off big time." He pondered over whether to pay or not. "I'll pay 1000 life points to keep Metal Devil Token on the field!" announced the Pharaoh. (**Y's LP: 2300**)  
  
The Queen of Diamonds laughed heartily. "You're a fool, Pharaoh! Here you are, paying 1000 life points to maintain a useless monster with 1 attack point! Ra will crush you because of your foolish mistake!" she threatened.  
  
Kaiba, still focused on the duel, watched carefully and was now quite fascinated by the turn of events. "So he figured it out." Kaiba grinned at his TV screen.  
  
"Wherever you are, Kaiba, when I drew Devil's Sanctuary and our souls met, you passed on this knowledge to me. I'd be destroyed by now if you hadn't given me this card" the Pharaoh turned his attention back to the duel.  
  
"Queen of Diamonds, there is an important reason I've kept my Metal Devil Token on the field! I need it to activate this magic card! Go, Multiply!" he announced as the magic card glowed, along with Metal Devil Token. The card's magic was then activated. Out of the sides of Metal Devil Token, small pieces of its metallic form separated from the gargoyle. The small metallic pieces then formed into metal gargoyles themselves.  
  
"What's Yugi planning?" inquired Anzu.  
  
"I get it!" Joey burst. "Yugi's planning to sacrifice his 3 tokens to summon Obelisk!" he realized.  
  
"Oh..." Anzu replied.  
  
"Now I sacrifice my 3 Metal Devil Tokens to summon this! Arise, Obelisk!" announced the Pharaoh as blue lightning clouded the skies. One lightning bolt struck the ground, unleashing blue orbs of energy all around. The lightning seemed to become a gateway, and out stepped Obelisk in all his might.  
  
"Yeah!" Tristan cheered.  
  
"With no monsters protecting his life points, Yugi can attack Queen of Diamonds directly!" Joey explained. "Go get her Yugi!"  
  
"Obelisk, attack her life points now!" thrust Yugi as Obelisk brought his fist down on Queen of Diamonds, knocking her back. (**Q's LP: 700**)  
  
The gang cheered on the sidelines. "Did you see the way Obelisk knocked her down? You're the man!" cheered Joey.  
  
"Wait guys," Anzu interrupted, "look at Yugi's face. He doesn't seem so happy by his attack."  
  
"Yugi shouldn't show that face when he's about to win a duel, I know I wouldn't." Joey noticed his best friend's grim look.  
  
The Queen of Diamonds struggled to get to her feet, but she was chuckling all the way. The Pharaoh quickly noticed this.  
  
Bakura was now on a rooftop, inches away from the pier. He had a great view and was able to note that Yugi was looking discouraged even though he had Obelisk on his side of the field, and had just lowered his opponent's life points by a whopping 4000. He noted by the way Yugi's opponent was dressed; she must be working in the same team as that fool he defeated about two hours before. "I wonder what Yugi's opponent has planned. Something doesn't seem right about this duel. No one should be smiling if she's not only down to her last 700 life points, but he's got an Obelisk on the field. It doesn't seem like a cause to be smiling, unless she took Obelisk's attack intentionally!" he realized, watching the duel with great pleasure now. "Will the Pharaoh survive?" was the question on his mind. His Millennium Ring began to glow, pointing at the woman. "Yugi's opponent must hold a Millennium Item, but that's impossible, unless she stole it from another. I'll just use my Millennium Ring to listen in on the duel, and put the pieces together myself, and if the Pharaoh fails to defeat his opponent, I'll pay them a visit myself." He smirked, as he could now make out what they were saying.  
  
"I'll now give you back every ounce of pain Obelisk has just given me!" Queen of Diamonds smirked, now standing. "Summoning Obelisk was just part of my trap! I knew you'd try to summon Obelisk and attack me directly, so it allowed me to activate this trap card!" she sprang.  
  
"Trap card? Traps don't work against Obelisk!" Joey proclaimed.  
  
"True, trap card won't effect Obelisk, but this trap was activating when my life points dropped by 4000! Reveal the trap known as Metal Reflect Slime!" called Queen of Diamonds as a chrome essence emerged from the card, encircling the field with its presence. It wrapped around Obelisk, and then lifted off the god monster, returning to Queen of Diamonds' side of the field. The slime then stretched out into a reflection of Obelisk, only chrome instead of its normal blue. (0/3000)  
  
"Meet my God Slime! He has defense points equal to three-quarters of your monster's defense points so God Slime's defense power is 3000!" introduced the Queen of Diamonds as the final touches of her monster appeared on the surface.  
  
"It's only a slime monster with 3000 defense points. Obelisk can knock it out with one attack!" pointed out Joey.  
  
Bakura, on the rooftop noticed something. "Interesting play. Not only did she bait Yugi into attacking her directly, she also used a trap card to get her own version of Obelisk. However, the monster has no attack points; only 3000 defense points compared to the true Obelisk's 4000, and can't duplicate Obelisk's abilities. She wouldn't waste a trap card to summon a temporary shield. What else could she have in mind?" he wondered, eyes glued to the action taking place on the pier.  
  
"That card is worthless" thought the Pharaoh, "the clone can't duplicate Obelisk's abilities. I'll easily destroy it next turn. She may be up to something though, so I'll take a safety precaution."  
  
"This fool thinks my God Slime will be destroyed by his Obelisk that easily? He'd better prepare for the worst, for my true strategy will reveal itself shortly. I've got it all planned out" Queen of Diamonds assumed.  
  
"I'll set one card face down and end my turn" the Pharaoh proclaimed.  
  
Queen of Diamonds drew, and studied her hand. "Let's see. I've got nothing in my hand that will help me get Raise Dead back, so I can't summon Ra back from the graveyard. I'll just use my God Slime to defend me until I can get Raise Dead, and then I'll destroy Obelisk once I revive Ra. Then, both of his God Cards will be gone, so I will claim victory in mere moments following Obelisk's destruction."  
  
"Pharaoh," she spoke, "the theme of my deck is Immortality! I made it just for this match. The purpose of the cards in my deck is to revive Ra over and over again. The God Slime is no exception. So now I'll summon my Revival Slime (1500/500)!" she smirked as a blue plasma monster emerged on the field, shaking its slimy tail.  
  
The Pharaoh gasped at the appearance of the plasma monster. He remembered when he dueled Malik's mind puppet, Strings, the mime, and how he used Revival Slime against him. The Pharaoh remembered how Revival Slime intercepted all of his attacks, and how it kept regenerating on Strings' side of the field. However, that was the past, and he turned his attention back to the duel just in time to witness his opponent activate a powerful magic card.  
  
"I activate my Fusion magic card next!" Queen of Diamonds pronounced as the chrome Obelisk split into chrome slime, wrapping around Revival Slime. It then reformed back into a chrome Obelisk.  
  
"It looks the same, but it must have some special ability from its fusion" the Pharaoh thought, watching the monster for any sign of new ability.  
  
Kaiba and Bakura, watching intently, both wondered what new powers the God Slime possessed.  
  
"I end my turn." The Queen of Diamonds called.  
  
The Pharaoh drew. "I'll summon my Big Shield Guardna (100/2600) in defense mode, and now Obelisk, attack his God Slime now! Show him the real Obelisk can't be cloned with your God Hand Crusher attack! Destroy his God Slime!" commanded the Pharaoh as Obelisk thrust his hand forward, splattering the God Slime over the arena. However, the pieces began to come back together and form until they built the chrome Obelisk back up together again.  
  
The Queen of Diamonds laughed. "My monster has gained my Revival Slime's ability never to be destroyed in battle! My strategy is coming together Pharaoh. Have you discovered it? I'll be using my God Slime to block all of your attacks until I can get Raise Dead back to revive Ra to burn off Obelisk!" she snickered. "Give up now! I can block all of your attacks, and then I will soon revive Ra to cast you into the shadows! There is no way you'll be able to defeat me!" she wickedly laughed as the Pharaoh growled, knowing there must be some way to defeat her, but it would be a long shot.  
  
"Has my speech done nothing to you? You're fate is to wait until I get Raise Dead back! Then you'll spend the last days of your life to wander the shadows. But in the mean time, it's my turn. So, I'll set a card face down and then summon Bowganian (1300/1000) in defense mode! Each turn, Pharaoh, my Bowganian will take out 300 of your life points!" she smiled.  
  
The Pharaoh drew. "Now I sacrifice my Big Shield Guardna to summon Black Magician Girl (2000/1700). Black Magician Girl, attack his Bowganian!" he commanded as she unleashed a pink energy blast headed towards Bowganian.  
  
"Reveal trap, Defend Slime!" the Queen of Diamonds interrupted. The Immortal God Slime then grabbed Bowganian to shield as the energy blast smacked into the Immortal God Slime, not making a dent in its chrome covering. "And since your attack on my Immortal God Slime failed, you lose 1000 life points." She added, enjoying the Pharaoh squirm at defeating her. (**Y's LP: 1300**)  
  
"What will you do now, Pharaoh? If you try to attack any of my monsters, my Defend Slime will instantly transfer the attack to my Immortal God Slime. Plus, even if one of your monsters is able to destroy my God Slime it will revive itself! You can only wait patiently until I either get a Raise Dead magic card or Bowganian takes away all of your life points! Personally, I prefer the first option, but that's just me talking! Either way, you'll soon wander the shadow realm for all eternity!" the Queen of Diamonds laughed a wicked, evil laugh echoing into the anxious crowd as Bakura and Kaiba watched intently.

**CARDS PLAYED**

Zombie's Jewel: TRAP/Desc: You may activate this card when a card is put into your opponent's graveyard. Put that card into your hand. Afterwards, your opponent draws 1 card.  
  
Raise Dead: MAGIC/Desc: Select one monster from either your or your opponent's graveyard and special summon it to the field in face up attack or defense position.  
  
Devil's Sanctuary: QUICK PLAY MAGIC/Desc: Special Summon 1 Metal Devil Token (Demon/Dark/1/0/0) to the field. The Token cannot attack. Battle Damage done to a player due to battle with this monster is done to the opponent instead. Pay 1000 life points in your standby phase. If you cannot, the Metal Devil Token is destroyed.  
  
De-Fusion: QUICK PLAY MAGIC/Desc: Return one fusion monster on the field to its respective Fusion Deck. In addition, if the fusion material monsters are in your graveyard, you may special summon them to the field in face up attack or defense position.  
  
Multiply: MAGIC/Desc: Select one monster on your side of the field with 500 or less attack points. Special summon two monsters of the same name as the selected monster on your side of the field in face up attack or defense position.  
  
Metal Reflect Slime: TRAP/Desc: Activate this card when your opponent successfully attacks. After this card's activation, it is treated as a monster card in face-up defense position. This card's defense power is equal to three-quarters of the attacking monster.  
  
Revival Slime: Level 4/1500/500/Aqua/Desc: When this card is sent to the graveyard as a result of battle, special summon it to your side of the field in your next standby phase.  
  
Fusion: MAGIC/Desc: Fuse 2 or more monsters together to summon a new fusion monster.  
  
Immortal God Slime: Level 4/0/?/ Aqua/Desc: "Revival Slime" "Metal Reflect Slime" When this monster is sent to the graveyard as a result of battle, special summon it to your side of the field from the graveyard during your next standby phase. This card's defense power is equal to Metal Reflect Slime's defense power.  
  
Big Shield Guardna: Level 4/ 100/2600/ Warrior Type  
  
Bowganian: Level 3/1300/1000/ Machine/Desc: During each of your standby phases, inflict 300 points of direct damage to your opponent's life points as long as this card remains face up on the field.  
  
Defend Slime: PERMANENT TRAP/Desc: When an opponent's Monster attacks your Monster, if you have a face-up Revival Jam on the Field, you can change the target of that attack to a Revival Jam.  
  
**A/N: I know that's not exactly how every card works, but just bear with me people.**


	31. Rebirth of Ra, Part 3: Obelisk's Anger, ...

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 30 for details**  
  
**A/N: I finally get one of those scroll bars!! WHOO!!  
**  
**Chapter 31: Rebirth of Ra, Part 3: Obelisk's Anger, Soul Energy MAX!**  
  
The score was **Yugi: 1300**, **Queen of Diamonds: 700**. Queen of Diamonds summoned Ra again to the field, with the help of her Zombie's Jewel trap card. However, Yugi, after remarkably setting a powerful magic card, countered Ra's One Turn Kill with Devil's Sanctuary, summoning a Metal Devil Token. Then after gaining 2 more tokens, he summoned Obelisk to the field, bringing Queen of Diamonds down to 700 life points. Except, using Obelisk to attack fell into Queen of Diamonds' trap, summoning a God Slime to her side of the field with 3000 defense points. Then after fusing it with Revival Slime, it became the Immortal God Slime. Plus, to make matters worse, Bowganian was summoned, making Yugi lose 300 life points each turn. On top of that, if Yugi tries to attack Bowganian, the attack is transferred to the Immortal God Slime, which just regenerates!  
  
"Ha Pharaoh! Look at you, pitiful and helpless before my monsters! Not only will my Immortal God Slime take every attack you throw to my cards, it will also keep coming back, so you'll never be able to take my life points to 0! Plus, since your Black Magician Girl's attack failed, you lost 1000 life points, giving Bowganian four less turns to defeat you" reminded Queen of Diamonds, drawing her card since it was the beginning of her turn. "And to make matters worse..." she began, showing the card she drew.  
  
The Pharaoh noticed it showing ground and purple crystals shooting out from the earth. "Confused, Pharaoh?" questioned Queen of Diamonds, "It's a magic card that will seal your fate! It's known as Magic Shard Excavation, allowing me to discard 2 cards from my hand to place one spell card from my graveyard into my hand, and I presume you know which magic card I choose? Raise Dead of course!" she snatched the magic card as it was ejected from her graveyard slot. "However, one downside to using this card is I'm not able to activate Raise Dead this turn to bring back Ra to finish off your Obelisk! So, I'll summon Granadora (1900/700) in defense mode!" A demonic reptile materialized on the field, snarling at all opposition.  
  
"During my next standby phase, Granadora gives me 1000 life points, so I'll be able to use my extra life points to activate Ra's God Phoenix form!" Queen of Diamonds explained her plan as the Pharaoh growled, knowing he must do something this turn.  
  
"I'll end my turn YOU LOSER!!!!!!!! "Queen of Diamonds screamed at her opponent. "As soon as I rid the Pharaoh of his Obelisk, victory will be mine. He'll have no way to destroy me if I can destroy Obelisk first."  
  
"You can do it Yugi!" Anzu began shouting encouragement. The others soon caught on. "Yeah! Stick it to him, Yugi!" Tristan added.  
  
"Show her what a True Duelist is!" Joey continued on. The Pharaoh looked at his aibou's friends, knowing he could win as long as he believed in the Heart of the Cards.  
  
"What's wrong Yugi? If you've been paying attention, it's your turn" Queen of Diamonds told the Pharaoh. For a second, the Pharaoh went to converse with Yugi.  
  
"Yugi..." the Pharaoh began, "I'm not sure I know how to defeat Ra next turn."  
  
"The weakness of the Queen of Diamonds must be hiding in the power of Ra. Ra has 3 modes of fighting. One mode is for the player to fuse with Ra. However, Ra may be the most powerful God Card there is, but Ra is still a monster. Maybe we can use that to our advantage." Yugi reminded the Pharaoh, who thanked his partner.  
  
The Pharaoh was now focused on the duel. "I draw." He declared, drawing from his deck.  
  
"About time..." yawned the Queen of Diamonds.  
  
"Now, I'll set two cards face down and summon Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts (1500/1200) in defense mode, and I'll end my turn from here." The Pharaoh announced as his mythical beast appeared in defense mode, and Queen of Diamonds drew.  
  
"Remember, now my lovely Bowganian will take away 300 of your life points" she pointed out, as Bowganian unleashed a missile crashing into the Pharaoh's chest. However, no damage was done, since Bowganian was only a hologram. "You're just lucky this isn't a Shadow Game, or that could have felt a lot worse." She chuckled, sighting Raise Dead in her hand. (**Y's LP: 700**)  
  
"Why are you struggling to keep your strength up? This is the last turn." The Pharaoh's opponent declared.  
  
"Interesting show this is." Bakura thought, patiently watching the match. "I wonder if Yugi has a plan to stop Ra. With two set cards, and knowing Raise Dead was in her hand last turn, he probably does. However, will it be enough Yugi?" he wondered, his attention turning back to the match itself.  
  
Kaiba was in his office, just as interested as Bakura. "I wonder what Yugi's two face down cards are. None of them will stop Ra. Actually..." he began to think of other possibilities, "those face down cards may be able to defeat Ra, in one way or another.  
  
"Come on Yugi!" cheerfully thought Joey.  
  
"You can do it, I believe in you!" Anzu mentally added.  
  
"Go Yugi! There's no way I'm letting you lose to her!" thought Tristan, his full support going to Yugi.  
  
"It's my standby phase now," began Queen of Diamonds, "so thanks to Granadora's effect, I gain 1000 life points (**Q's LP: 1700**)!" she smiled wickedly, fingering out Raise Dead from her hand.  
  
"Are you ready for darkness, because it's been waiting for you for a long time, and I don't like to keep people waiting! I activate Raise Dead, bringing Ra back from the card graveyard!" she proclaimed as the Raise Dead symbol created itself in red, in the sky. The winds once again rose, flying across the pier as the golden wings erupted from the magic symbol, and in between the wings formed a golden dragon roaring its powerful roar for all to hear.  
  
The Queen of Diamonds then began to chant some ancient old language words. This time, the Pharaoh caught words he missed the previous time before, and watched in awe as Ra emitted a pure golden flame encasing its body, morphing itself into a deadly phoenix.  
  
"You know what happens next," she told the Pharaoh, as he noticed her life point meter stoop down to 700. (**Q's LP: 700**) (**A/N: What did you people expect?**) "Ra, burn Obelisk with your phoenix form's attack! Burn Obelisk and finish off the Pharaoh!" she commanded as the Phoenix shot a wave of golden fire aimed to cover Obelisk and burn him to cinders.  
  
"I activate my magic card!" the Pharaoh declared before the fire reached Obelisk.  
  
"It doesn't matter! Obelisk will never survive Ra's attack! Complete your assault my great beast, don't let a small magic card stop you!" instructed the Queen of Diamonds as the fire blast continued, creating a circle of fire around the Pharaoh and his 3 monsters.  
  
"It's all over! Obelisk falls to Ra!" the queen declared.  
  
"Not today, Queen of Diamonds!" the Pharaoh spoke through the flames. The flames then dispersed from the dueling arena, and the Queen of Diamonds began to see the Pharaoh's side of the field again, and she gasped at the results. She saw Osiris standing before Obelisk as a shield, and she put the pieces together.  
  
"This can't be happening!" she screamed, witnessing the Pharaoh's plan. "Ra's attack on Obelisk was intercepted by your Osiris, because you activated the Monster Reborn card!" she noticed the magic card face up on the field.  
  
"Yes, and that means Ra's attack is pointless!" the Pharaoh completed her thought.  
  
"I see Yugi's strategy," Bakura noticed, "he's using Obelisk as the sword and Osiris as the shield to combat Ra. Bravo, Yugi!" he thought, applauding for the Pharaoh's strategy.  
  
Osiris' head crashed to the ground, as Obelisk roared into the sky. Blue lightning flashed rapidly as if answering Obelisk's roar. "Look!" Joey commanded everyone. "Obelisk is angry now."  
  
"I wonder if Yugi knows the extent to Obelisk's anger" pondered Kaiba in his office.  
  
"Now that your attack has failed, Osiris is sent to the graveyard, but so is Ra!" the Pharaoh declared as both monsters vanished from the playing field.  
  
"Hold on! It's my turn to reveal a powerful spell! Surprise Attack from the Darkness, unleash your powers!" called the Queen of Diamonds as Ra was instantly revived from the graveyard. "My magic card gives me the power to summon any monster that was destroyed in battle or a monster that was sent to my graveyard that was on the field during my turn! And I'm afraid Ra perfectly fits that description!" she explained as Ra was locked in its golden sphere, hovering above the dueling arena.  
  
"Ra isn't ready to fight yet." The Queen of Diamonds pointed up. "Which mode should I use to destroy the Pharaoh? Ah, I know." She began to chant a spell, it wasn't the third spell, Yugi figured out, since she didn't have enough life points to invoke the God Phoenix.  
  
Ra emerged from the sphere in its second form. "He's planning to use the One Turn Kill and fuse with Ra." The Pharaoh figured out. The Queen of Diamonds appeared in Ra's jewel as Ra's attack power rose to 699. (**Q's LP: 1**)  
  
"Once I take all the cards on my field as sacrifices, Ra's attack will climb to a destructive 6899! Obelisk's attack is only 4000. I'll destroy Obelisk and win the duel! Give it up, Pharaoh. I'll admit you put up a good fight, but I was destined to win!" the Queen of Diamonds laughed.  
  
"Is that so?" the Pharaoh questioned, while his opponent discontinued her laughing spree. "I activate my magic card, Soul Taker!"  
  
"Joey, what does that card do?" asked Tristan on the sidelines.  
  
"Oh yeah! Think of it as Yugi's hero. It lets Yugi take a monster on the Queen of Diamonds' side of the field and sacrifice it, but in exchange she gains 1000 life points.  
  
Queen of Diamonds gasped. "You plan to take Ra along with myself as a sacrifice!"  
  
"Good guess, but no! I'm taking the Immortal God Slime instead and since it's composed of 2 monsters, I can use it as 2 different monsters to power up my Obelisk to its Soul Energy MAX state!" the Pharaoh stated his plan. The Immortal God Slime was grabbed my Obelisk, its soul being fed into Obelisk's jewel. Obelisk glowed pink in color and its fist were raised, surrounded by powerful energy. The winds picked up at twice the rate they would for Ra.  
  
"So he did figure it out." Kaiba smirked.  
  
"Looks like even Ra won't stand up to this power," Bakura chuckled.  
  
"Obelisk, use Soul Energy MAX, destroy Ra!" commanded the Pharaoh as Obelisk shot its fists forward, ready to destroy the golden dragon of Queen of Diamonds. The gang could barely witness the attack because the wind was so blinding.  
  
"Go!" Joey cheered, barely managing to shout the words loud enough for Yugi to hear. Yugi turned and nodded.  
  
"No! I will not lose to you Pharaoh! I've been through months and months of training, and I will NOT lose to the likes of you! I sacrifice Bowganian and Granadora to power Ra to 4899! Obelisk has only 4000 attack points! I win!" she cheered.  
  
"Not in this turn" the Pharaoh replied. "Since it's in its Soul Energy MAX mode, Obelisk's attack power is infinite, meaning it does measure up to Ra! Face it, you lose!" (**Obelisk:?/?**)  
  
Out of the fires of Ra's attack, two pink spheres were seen hurdling towards Ra. Everyone recognized them as Obelisk's, and when the fists met the fire, an explosion occurred releasing waves of smoke. The smoke cleared in about 30 seconds, Obelisk reverted back to its normal blue color and stats of 4000 each, and the Pharaoh was shocked to see Ra still remained on the field.  
  
"That's impossible! Your monster can't measure up to Soul Energy MAX, no matter how powerful it is!" the Pharaoh shouted.  
  
"I'm afraid it is quite possible. For when your Soul Energy MAX almost destroyed my Ra, I activated a magic card to protect it!" Queen of Diamonds enlightened the Pharaoh, who now noticed the magic card.  
  
"It's a card called Class System. Whenever you attack or activate a special ability of your monsters to destroy one of mine, if its level isn't higher than my monster, the attack or ability is negated and ended. Since Obelisk and Ra are both level 10 creatures, Obelisk's Soul Energy MAX ability is negated!" the Queen of Diamonds heartily laughed.  
  
"Obelisk's attack is now back at its pitiful 4000, and Ra still has its 4899, since I sacrificed Bowganian and my Granadora, remember?" she smirked.  
  
"That's it!" the Pharaoh thought. "That's why she sacrificed the monsters to Ra. She knew its attack was infinite, but if she activated her Class System magic card while those 2 monsters were on the field, then her Class System would have destroyed itself since Bowganian and Granadora are both lower than level 10. She set me up." He growled.  
  
"Seeing as how it's my turn, and how I haven't attacked your Obelisk and won our duel, I think it's about time I do! Ra, let us attack Obelisk together and win the match!" instructed the queen as Ra unleashed a golden fire ball to smother and burn Obelisk.  
  
"You may have been able to block Obelisk's Soul Energy MAX attack, but you have no more cards set on the field, so you won't block this card! Activate, Magical Dimension! This card allows me to sacrifice 2 monsters on my side of the field to negate your attack! I'll use Obelisk and Gazelle to negate Ra's attack!" the Pharaoh called as the two sacrifices swirled in wind, and vanished from the field. Ra's fireball vanished before it could get to the Pharaoh's side of the field. Black Magician Girl was now his only monster.  
  
Queen of Diamonds laughed. "So you've stopped one attack, but at a very high price. You just lost Obelisk, you're only shot at winning! And I've even got a card in my hand to bring back my Raise Dead magic card next turn! Without Obelisk, you're just a sitting duck!" she snickered. "What makes you think you will win without Obelisk?"  
  
"I've got my friends" sternly replied the Pharaoh, "I've got the monsters that fight for me each and every time I duel! Like the one I'm about to summon! I activate a second ability of Magical Dimension! I'm able to call upon a Spellcaster type monster from my hand! I choose to special summon my Black Magician! (2500/2100)!" A yellow cask appeared, held up by metal poles and chains. The cask slowly opened and the Black Magician floated out, next to his partner.  
  
The Pharaoh drew. "This is it! I win this duel now! Activate magic card, Ragnarok! This card can only be used when I have at least 2 of the required magicians on the field to activate. Luckily for me, Black Magician Girl and Black Magician are 2 of them. My magic card now allows me to remove from play each and every monster from my hand, deck, and graveyard to my remove from game pile" explained the Pharaoh as he shuffled through his two stacks, sending a chunk of cards to a separate section.  
  
"Your card does nothing to me! Ra will destroy your Black Magician, your soul card, next turn and win me the match!" Queen of Diamonds retorted.  
  
"That won't happen" chuckled the Pharaoh, "because since I've filled the cost of Ragnarok, its effect is activated! All of your monsters are destroyed! That means Ra!" burst the Pharaoh as a heavenly light reigned down on the field. Spirits of Yugi's monsters became parading onto the field. Obelisk and Osiris were there, along with Black Magician and Black Magician Girl, the Magnet Warriors, the trio of card knights, Joey's Red Eyes Black Dragon, and even Kuriboh were on the field, all aimed at destroying Ra. Osiris went wrapping its seemingly infinite body's coils around Ra while Obelisk grabbed Ra's neck.  
  
"No! Leave Ra alone! I command you!" the Queen of Diamonds screamed. Kuriboh peeped at her.  
  
Both God monsters took Ra into the sky, and were followed by all cards, excluding Black Magician and Black Magician Girl. The two magicians, however, crossed their staffs and a hexagram symbol full of black magic appeared in the sky. Ra was taken into the symbol. As soon as Ra entered, a vibrant pink light replaced the heavenly one, blinding everyone for a second or two. Light left the playing field and a thin layer of smoke was on the arena. The crowd was shocked at the display. Queen of Diamonds was on the ground, gasping for breath. She recovered shortly.  
  
"Did...Did Yugi win?" questioned Anzu. Joey shook his head.  
  
"No. Queen of Diamonds still has her 1 life point, so that means the duel is still on." Joey replied.  
  
"You're finished! Black Magician attack her life points directly!" commanded Yugi as his favorite monster unleashed a wave of black lightning, crashing onto Queen of Diamonds, making her shriek. (**Q's LP: 0**)  
  
"I win! Hand over Ra!" the Pharaoh demanded.  
  
"I'm not giving you Ra! We agreed if you won, you gained my Hexac Rudy! So here you go." She handed the card to Yugi. However, she also pulled out Ra. "You want it so bad, here. Not like you'll be able to use it" with that she disappeared in a flash, lost within Domino City. Yugi then looked over the card, since it had been a while since he had last seen it, and Yugi had never played it in a duel before. He noticed something on the card that was there, or in this case wasn't.  
  
"Guys..." Yugi began.  
  
"Yeah, what's up Yuge?" Joey questioned, fixing to turn off to find his own opponent.  
  
"There's no writing on this card." Yugi told him. Joey leaned over and noticed the same thing. The other two also looked.  
  
"So you mean to say..." Joey began.  
  
"You don't think..." Anzu followed.  
  
"There's no way..." Tristan told.  
  
"Guys, this isn't the real Ra!" Yugi spilled the beans.

_border-border-border-border-border-border-border-border-border-border-border-border-_

**A/N: Ok, for you people out there who are not keeping up with Japanese episodes, that was the exact same duel (dueling wise) between Yugi and Malik in the Battle City Finals. Umm...probably should have posted that at the beginning of this series, but if you didn't read the last part the whole rest of the tournament would have never made sense.  
  
A/N 2: I know that's not how a lot of the cards work in real life that were in this trilogy of chapters, but that's how it is in the show shrugs shoulders**  
  
**CARDS PLAYED  
**  
**Magic Shard Excavation**: MAGIC/Desc: Discard 2 cards from your hand. Select one spell card from your graveyard and add it to your hand. During the turn this card is activated, you may not activate the spell card you put into your hand.  
  
**Granadora**: Level 4/ 1900/ 700/ Reptile/Desc: When this card is face up on the field during the standby phase after it was normal summoned, special summoned, or flip summoned increase your life points by 1000.  
  
**Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts**: Level 4/ 1500/1200/ Beast Type  
  
**Raise Dead**: MAGIC/Desc: Select one monster from either player's graveyard. Special summon it to the field in face up attack or defense position.  
  
**Soul Taker**: INSTANT MAGIC/Desc: Select one monster on your opponent's side of the field to destroy. Your opponent gains 1000 life points.  
  
**Class System**: QUICK PLAY MAGIC/Desc: You can activate this card when an opponent's monster attacks or activates an effect. If that Monster's Level is not higher than your Monster's Level, negate that attack or effect.  
  
**Magical Dimension**: QUICK PLAY MAGIC/Desc: You can activate this card if you have a Magic User Sub-Type Monster on the Field, and an opponent's Monster attacks. Sacrifice 2 Monsters, negate your opponent's attack, and Special Summon 1 Magic User Sub-Type Monster from your deck. During the End Phase, this Monster is destroyed.  
  
**Ragnarok**: MAGIC/Desc: You can activate this card if you have a combination of 2 Black-Robed Sage, Black Magician, Black Magician Girl and/or Magician of Black Chaos on your Field. Remove all Monsters in your hand, deck and Cemetery from the game. Destroy all of your opponent's Monsters on the Field.  
  
**Okay also, I'm kind of having a small case of writer's block. If you have any ideas for opponents, go head and submit them (as the reason I used a show duel). I'll probably recover in 2 days, but reader's suggestions are always fun to read and play around with.**  
  
End 


	32. Trio Attack, Part 1

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 31 for details**  
  
**A/N: I'll pretty much be sticking to English names for this series. Also, Garvas' level has been tweaked for this chapter.  
**  
**Chapter 32: Trio Attack, Part 1**  
  
A way across from Yugi and co. the tournament was in full swing towards Domino's Museum. Several duelists were close to qualifying to the finals, the top duelist being Mai Valentine. She had already won 5 out of her six required duels, and she was going to resume searching for an opponent after her lunch break. She saw a nice Japanese restaurant, so she decided to eat there for lunch.  
  
Elsewhere, near Mai's restaurant, another tough competitor just finished his fourth duel, a victory, of course. "Just two more and I'm already in the finals! I bet no one else has this kind of luck" thought Kevin Hunter, eyeing possible opponents. However, none of these duelists seemed to be a real challenge, since over half of them seemed more like they were here to meander, rather than enter a tournament. "Augh! Where can I find some real competition?" Kevin's stomach growled. "Heh. Looks like I need to find some food, and I'll keep searching for opponents afterwards" he planned, heading towards the restaurant next door to Mai's, an American place.  
  
Mai emerged before Kevin, and continued her search for her last opponent. "Great, a bunch of losers" she thought, sighing and heading towards the East Wing of Domino City, where they were rumors spreading powerful duelists were there and some blue giant was unleashed in a duel about 3 hours ago. Mai was about to head that way, when a voice caught her attention.  
  
"Hey, Mai! Would you...' the voice began.  
  
Mai held her hand up, not even looking at the person. "Sorry, kiddo, but I'm on business. You can have an autograph later, ok hun?" she interrupted, annoyed.  
  
The voice moved her hand out of the way. "I'm not looking for an autograph; I'm looking for a duel!" Mai heard the voice say. She smiled.  
  
"I'm looking for one of those, too. Not like you'll provide a challenge, but being the first person to qualify for the finals has to have some plus, you've just made the worst mistake ever, kid" Mai told, looking at the person. She gasped.  
  
"Well, I actually thought it could have been Joey, but it's not. So, Kevin, what are you doing in this neck of the woods?" Mai questioned.  
  
"For your information, I'm part of Kaiba's tournament, and I'm just 2 duels away from qualifying for the finals!" he snapped, catching Mai off-guard.  
  
Mai only whistled. "Too bad I've already won 5 duels, but these losers couldn't win a duel against a wall!" she teased.  
  
"You got that right. So, up for the last match you'll have for a while?" asked Kevin.  
  
"We'll see who beats who, remember I was in the final rounds at both Duelist Kingdom and Battle City" Mai repeated her record.  
  
"Wow, I'm so impressed" Kevin loaded his Duel Disk.  
  
"You will be," Mai smiled, her Duel Disk also loaded.  
  
"Let's duel!" they yelled in unison. Their life point counters skyrocketed to 4000.  
  
"Losers first!" Mai shouted. Kevin rolled his eyes and drew his six cards, as Mai drew 5.  
  
"Not bad" Kevin studied his hand. "For my first move, I'll set two cards face down and summon Drillago (1600/1100) in attack mode!" he announced as his machine monster covered in drills burst out of the ground.  
  
Mai drew. "Let's see. Two set cards. I'll bet one is a trap to stop an attack, or it's to destroy a monster I summon. I'll match him with a fool proof strategy" Mai cleverly thought. "I'll set a card face down as well and then summon my Harpie Lady (1300/1400) in defense mode!" A female winged creature materialized on the field, screeching, before placing her wings before her in a defensive stance.  
  
Kevin drew. "Harpie Lady?? That's really weak! And it's definitely no match for my Spear Dragon (1900/0)! Spear Dragon, go attack her Harpie Lady! Cyclone Blast!" commanded Kevin as the twister raged across the field, aiming at the Harpie Lady.  
  
"This was an obvious trap, and it even caught you! Reveal, Mirror Wall!" called Mai as a wall of mirrors shot up between the two monsters. Spear Dragon shrunk in size to half its original size. The cyclone blast smacked into the Harpie Lady, which she easily brushed off.  
  
"What happened?" a shocked Kevin asked.  
  
Mai sighed. "Honestly, to think you'd even know how cards work. Anyway, my trap card will cut your monster's attack power in half!" she happily declared as Kevin saw his life points lower. (**K's LP: 3450**)  
  
"My move!" Mai declared, drawing a card. "Excellent. This card will nearly complete my Harpie Lady strategy, but I need to make sure I can dent his life points and clear the field of his monsters before he wipes me out!" she planned.  
  
"So, I'll summon my Amazoness Paladin (1700/300) in attack mode! This card gains 100 attack points for every amazon on my field, so her attack is now 1800! Amazoness Paladin, attack his Spear Dragon and put a dent in his life points!" commanded Mai as her paladin unsheathed her staff, and charged at the dragon, ready to sweep it off the playing field.  
  
"Activate trap, Negate Attack! Now your attack is negated and your battle phase is over!" Kevin sprang, as the attack was absorbed by a vortex before it could reach Spear Dragon.  
  
"Yeah, hun. I can read, and I see that that trap only works for one turn, so next turn you'll have no defense as my Amazoness Paladin carves up your monster" Mai announced her plan, and ended her turn.  
  
Kevin drew. "Ok, she's got me in a corner, but I think I know a way out of this, well, for now at least until I can rid the field of her Mirror Wall trap" he thought as he slapped a new card on the field. "I sacrifice Spear Dragon to summon Black Magician Girl (2000/1700) in attack mode! I'll then switch Drillago to attack mode, set two cards on the field, and end my turn" he proudly announced as the magician girl lit up on the field, Drillago moved into a defensive stance, and two holograms of cards materialized on the field.  
  
Mai drew. "Those set cards have got to be traps for my Amazoness Paladin. He didn't attack with his magician girl because her attack would be halved. I'll just have to dust his cards away" she picked up an old favorite.  
  
"First, I'll switch my Harpie Lady into attack mode!" Mai announced as her winged creature burst from its defensive stance, ready to take some action.  
  
"That's it Mai" cleverly thought Kevin. "Call an attack"  
  
"Next, I'll blow away your face down cards with the Harpie's Feather Duster!" she announced as a tornado emerged from the card, swallowing up Kevin's face down magic and trap cards. He growled at her tactic. "Now there's nothing standing in my way! Amazoness Paladin, carve up his Spear Dragon!" commanded Mai as the monster once again ran to her opponent, slicing it clean off the playing field. (**K's LP: 2600**)  
  
"You know, kid, something tells me you should stick to sideline cheerleading for your friends who can actually put up a real challenge" sighed Mai, tired of dueling second rate amateurs. "I'll set one card face down on the field and end my turn."  
  
"We'll see who sticks to the sidelines, because I've just drawn a card that will help me defeat you!" Kevin claimed.  
  
"I'll bet" scoffed Mai.  
  
Kevin glared at her. "I'll just let my cards do the talking! Activate, Double Spell! By discarding one spell card from my hand, I can activate your Harpie's Feather Duster and use it against you!" he gladly explained as the twister reappeared, shattering Mai's Mirror Wall along with her set card. Mai gasped at the turn of events.  
  
"Now I switch Drillago into attack mode. Drillago, attack the Harpie Lady!" commanded Kevin as the drills on the machine monster began to rotate rapidly. Drillago then slammed one of its drills into the Harpie Lady, destroying her on contact. (**M's LP: 3700**) "Dark Magician Girl, attack her Amazoness Paladin!" The magician girl twirled in the air, unleashing a blast of pink magic energy smashing into and destroying Mai's defense. (**M's LP: 3500**)  
  
"I'll set one card face down, and end my turn" Kevin declared.  
  
"My turn" Mai snatched the top card off her deck. "First I'm activating my Pot of Greed magic card, letting me draw 2 cards from my deck" she snatched the next 2 cards. "Good draw, Mai" she congratulated herself.  
  
"I'll summon my Cyber Harpie (1800/1300) in attack mode! Next, I'll use this Raise Dead magic card to revive and old friend! Harpie Lady, come to the field in defense mode!" called Mai as her monster burst from the revival magic card, letting out a shriek.  
  
"Then, I'll set these 3 cards face down, and activate the magic card Arrow Claw! Attaching this to my Cyber Harpie automatically allows her to gain 300 attack points. (Cyber Harpie: 2100/1300) A long claw shot out of one of the winged creature's arms.  
  
"Cyber Harpie attack Drillago!" commanded Mai as the creature unfolded her wings and flew at the machine, annihilating it with one swipe of her claw. (**K's LP: 1900**)  
  
"Next turn, that magical fairy of yours gets the same treatment. Until then, make your move, Hunter" Mai shifted the turn.  
  
Kevin drew. "This card could really help me turn this duel around" he noticed his card. "So, I'll set this number face down for now, set one card face down on the field, and end my turn" he declared.  
  
Mai shrugged and drew. "Now I'll summon my Skull Red Bird (1550/1200) in attack mode! Go Cyber Harpie, cut his magician girl to ribbons with your Arrow Claw Slash!" commanded Mai as her winged female flew full speed at the magician girl.  
  
"Reveal trap, Shift! This card forces your monster to attack my face down card instead!" Kevin explained as the two monsters on Kevin's field magically traded places. The Cyber Harpie sliced up the monster, revealing it to be...Cyber Jar.  
  
"No!" Mai gasped, as the Cyber Jar inhaled every monster on the field into its green top, followed by an explosion. Kevin and Mai both knew the rules, so they picked up 5 cards each.  
  
"Thanks to my Cyber Jar's effect, I'm now allowed to special summon these four monsters to the field! Go, Breaker the Magical Warrior (1600/300 300), Skilled White Magician (1700/1900), Gemini Elf (1900/900), and Spear Dragon (1900/0)! I summon you all to the field in attack mode!" he announced as his green and orange dragon, two female spellcasters, a magician holding a thin white staff, and a magical warrior in armor exploded onto the field.  
  
"Nice lineup" complimented Mai, "but now I'll show you real power! I summon Faith Bird (1500/1100), Blue Winged Crown (1600/1200) in attack mode! Also, I'll summon this monster in defense mode." She announced as her three creatures appeared on the field.  
  
"Now I will..." Mai began, but Kevin cut her off.  
  
"End your turn, because I activate my second face-down card, Spirit Wall! Since 2 or more of my monsters were destroyed this turn, your turn ends!" Kevin smiled as Mai growled, but shrugged the trap off.  
  
Kevin drew. "Perfect!" he smiled. "But knowing Mai, I'll bet she has some trap card to counter this move, so I'll use my magical warrior's counter to destroy a card, but I just hope it's the right one!" he thought. "I'll use my Breaker the Magical Warrior's counter to destroy your face down card...in the middle!" he announced as the magical warrior's counter merged into his sword, and the warrior sent a magical sphere at the card, destroying a Magic Jammer.  
  
Mai gasped. "No! I'll probably need that card for later!"  
  
Kevin congratulated himself. "Score! Next, I'll sacrifice Breaker the Magical Warrior and Spear Dragon to summon to the field, Dark Magician (2500/2100)!" he announced as the two monsters swirled together in purple wind. The wind faded, revealing a powerful mage in purple robes outlined in orange wielding a green staff. His hair was yellow-green and he housed a pair of cold eyes. Now, it's time to exterminate those face down cards! Activate, Dark Magic Attack! This card destroys all of your magic and trap cards since I have Dark Magician on the field!" Kevin happily explained as Dark Magician raised his staff, creating and firing two black lightning bolts at the face down cards, exterminating them.  
  
Mai growled. "Don't celebrate too quickly. In a few short moves, I'll be on my way to claiming victory!" she smiled to herself, fingering a few cards in her hand.  
  
"Plus, since I activated a magic card, my Skilled White Magician now gains 1 spell counter." He waved his hand towards his monster, which had a small white flame glowing above him. "Now Dark Magician! Attack Faith Bird with Dark Magic Attack!" Kevin commanded, pointing at the target. The magician twirled his staff, firing several lightning bolts of black magic at the Faith Bird, who was destroyed by the attack. (**M's LP: 2500**)  
  
Kevin smiled. "And there's more where that came from! Skilled White Magician, attack the Blue Winged Crown!" commanded Kevin as the mage dressed in white fired a thin line of magic energy, vaporizing Mai's blue defending bird. (**M's LP: 2400**)  
  
"Don't forget this! Gemini Elf, burn through her defense monster!" added Kevin as the pair of spellcasters created a flame, engulfing Mai's new monster, which was still standing after the attack.  
  
"You've attacked my Amazoness Shield (1150/2200)! Not only do you lose 300 life points from your failed attack, but since you've attacked her, you lose one card from your hand!" Mai explained as a ghostly hand snatched a card from Kevin, Barrel behind the Door. Not a big loss. (**K's LP: 1600**) "Oh well, I'll set a card, for later, and end my turn."  
  
Mai drew. "First, I'll activate Graceful Charity to draw 3 cards, and then discard 2!" she swiftly drew 3 cards and snatched two, placing them in her graveyard slot. "Perfect! Now I'll activate the magic card, Swords of Revealing Light! This card traps your monsters for three turns, which will protect my life points!" she announced as a dozen yellow swords flew from the cards, placing themselves randomly along Kevin's side of the field.  
  
"Minor setback" thought Kevin.  
  
"Next, I'll set one card face down and summon my Garvas (2000/1500) in attack mode!" Mai went on as a winged beast (literally) appeared on the field. It had two strong wings and nails sharp like blades.  
  
"Big deal!" shouted Kevin. "In just 3 turns, my Dark Magician will be free to attack, and he'll easily destroy your beast!"  
  
"Oh really?" asked Mai. "This magic card will change all that! Go, Rising Air Current!" Mai announced as the scene around them changed. Small tornadoes formed around both players. The wind picked up in speed, not by much, but there was a recognizable change.  
  
"My lovely terrain gives all my winged beast creatures 500 extra attack points at the cost of them losing 400 of their defense points. Small price to pay, don't you think, hun?" Kevin rolled his eyes. "Heh! Garvas (2500/1100), attack his Skilled White Magician!" commanded Mai as Garvas flew full-speed at the mage, beginning to swipe him with his claw. "Reveal trap card, Sakuretsu Armor! This trap will automatically destroy Garvas leaving my life points safe!" Kevin smiled as silver armor strapped itself to Garvas. The armor then exploded, taking Mai's beloved beast with it.  
  
"I'll end my turn!" she angrily spat.  
  
Kevin drew. "One turn down" he thought, looking at his newest card, a Polymerization magic card. "I'll activate this magic card! Soul Exchange, activate!" he announced as a wall of wind formed around Amazoness Shield. "This card let's me sacrifice your Amazoness Shield to summon my Jinzo (2400/1500) to the field!" he announced as his tall android emerged from its card. It crossed its arms in a satisfied position.  
  
"Now that Jinzo is on the field, all trap cards are useless!" gladly explained Kevin. Mai easily brushed it off.  
  
"You forget that your monsters are still trapped within my Swords of Revealing Light card. That gives me two turns to continue fighting! And I can guarantee you this duel is nowhere near over!" Mai drew. "But, if I keep drawing cards like this it will!" Before she played the card, she studied her hand and the field.  
  
"The only way I know I'll win is if I destroy his Jinzo, so this will work" she thought. "I summon Birdface (1600/1600) in attack mode! Next up is my Grave Arm magic card! This card instantly sends your Jinzo to the graveyard, so adios!" Mai announced as a demonic hand snatched Jinzo, dragging him into the underground, and sending him to the graveyard.  
  
"Now Birdface, attack his Gemini Elf!" Mai commanded as the winged creature took flight, slicing the twin elves with its foot claw. (**K's LP: 1400**)  
  
Kevin drew. "One turn left. I'll set a card face down, and end my turn" he declared as Mai drew.  
  
"Now I summon Amazon Fighter (1300/1300) in attack mode! I've got nothing that can beat that Dark Magician, so I'll end my turn" she declared as her amazon warrior appeared on the field, fists in a fighting stance.  
  
Kevin drew. "I'll summon Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer (1800/700) in attack mode. Then, I'll activate this magic card, Magic Formula! This card gives my Dark Magician 500 more attack points, raising his power to 3000!" he announced as the Dark Magician glowed in blue light as its power increased by 500.  
  
"Since I can't attack, I'll go ahead and end my turn" he announced while Mai's Swords of Revealing Light vanished in unison.  
  
Mai smiled, seeing her draw. "I activate the magic card, Bait Doll! Now your face down card is revealed to me and I may be able to destroy it!" she smiled as Kevin's Negate Attack flipped up, and then shattered to pieces. He growled, knowing the rules of the card.  
  
"That trap could have saved you, but it didn't! So now, sit back Kevin, and watch this! I activate my Harpie's Phoenix Mirror, allowing me to special summon my Harpie Lady from the graveyard!" she declared as her female warrior sprung to the field, spreading her wings and screeched.  
  
"Next up, I'll activate my Elegant Egotist magic card! I could use it to summon the Harpie Lady Sisters, but this strategy is even better when I use Elegant Egotist to summon another Harpie Lady (1300/1400)!" smiled Mai as from the magic card; another Harpie Lady emerged, screeched, and flew next to her original counterpart.  
  
"Wow" thought Kevin, "but my Dark Magician still has 2500 attack points, so it's still the strongest card on the field. I can attack now, so why would she be playing all those Harpie Ladies in attack mode! Unless..." wondered Kevin, thinking of a possible strategy.  
  
"Then, I'll activate yet another magic card!" Mai's voice spoke.  
  
"Another one??" repeated Kevin to himself.  
  
"It's called Air Rampage, and it allows me to summon a wind monster from my deck, hand, or graveyard with less than 2000 attack points! The monster I choose is my 3rd and final Harpie Lady! Come to the field!" Mai explained as the winds picked up. The third and final Harpie Lady joined her other two sisters on the field, as they stood united on the field, each one with the stats of: 1800/1000  
  
"And for the final piece of my plan" she singled out one of her two remaining cards in her hand. "I've never normal summoned a monster this turn, so I'm able to sacrifice Amazon Fighter along with Birdface to summon Harpie's Pet Dragon (2000 plus 1400/2500 plus 900-400)!" Both tributes were lost in a fiery explosion. A massive dragon held on a chain emerged from the flames, steam seeping from its mouth. Its stats were 2000/2500, but they both shot up to 3400/3000.  
  
"Uh oh...Kevin thought.  
  
"Don't sweat it kid, your in this for one more turn. Remember my Harpie's Phoenix Mirror card? Well, it lets you off the hook. This turn, my lovely Harpie Ladies aren't able to attack, but on the downside, my souped up Pet Dragon is. Here's a demonstration. Harpie's Pet Dragon, burn his Dark Magician! Fearsome Fire Blast!" commanded Mai as her dragon in took a large quantity of air, releasing it as a wide stream of fire, easily burning through the defending mage. (**K's LP: 1000**) (**K's LP: 2000**)  
  
Kevin was breathing heavily. He drew. "This card will save me for at least one turn" he thought, activating it. "I'm activating the spell card, Scapegoat!" he announced as four different colored sheep lined themselves up on the field. Mai was quite amused by Kevin's play.  
  
"You think some sheep will save you from this power? Kid, if that's all your deck is capable off, go head and surrender. I promise I won't laugh" Mai smiled, but seeing Kevin's determined look cut her off.  
  
"Have it your way" she shrugged as she drew. "You're just lucky I don't have a monster, otherwise you would be history! But now I'm activating a trap card, Aqua Chorus! Since I have more than one monster on the field with the same name, those same name monsters gain 500 attack and defense points. Mainly, my Harpie Ladies do!" she smirked while pale blue aqua spirits flew into the 3 Harpie Ladies, and they glowed in pale blue auras. (Harpie Ladies: 2300/1500)  
  
"Go! Harpie Ladies! All 3 of you, attack 3 different scapegoat!" called Mai as her three lovely females each sliced up a different goat.  
  
"Last, but by no means least, go my Pet Dragon! Incinerate the last scapegoat with your Fearsome Fire Blast!" commanded Mai as the dragon once again in took air, releasing it as fire and burning the last scapegoat to a crisp. Kevin growled, seeing all his defenses were gone.  
  
"Just one more turn" teased Mai, as she completed her move.  
  
Kevin drew and cracked a smile. In his hands he held a card that could turn this duel around, when used properly. "Get ready Mai" warned Kevin, "for shortly, I'm going to end this duel, and there's not a card in your deck that will stop me."  
  
**CARDS PLAYED**  
  
**Drillago**: Level 4 /1600/1200/ Machine/Desc: When there are only face-up monsters with ATK 1600 or more on your opponent's side of the field, this monster can attack your opponent's Life Points directly.  
  
**Harpie Lady**: Level 4/ 1300/1400/ Winged Beast Type  
  
**Spear Dragon**: Level 4/ 1900/0/ Dragon Type/Desc: If this card attacks with an ATK that is higher than the DEF of your opponent's Defense Position monster, inflict the difference as Battle Damage to your opponent's Life Points. When this card attacks, it is changed to Defense Position at the end of the Damage Step.  
  
**Mirror Wall**: TRAP/Desc: Decrease the ATK of all your opponents attacking monsters by half.  
  
**Amazoness Paladin**: Level 4/ 1700/300/ Warrior/Desc: Increase the ATK of this monster by 100 points for each monster on your side of the field that includes "Amazoness" in its card name or is named "Amazon Archer".  
  
**Negate Attack**: TRAP/Desc: When your opponent attacks, negate the attack, and end your opponent's battle phase.  
  
**Dark Magician Girl**: Level 6/2000/1700/ Spellcaster/ Desc: Increase the attack of this card by 300 for each "Dark Magician" or "Magician of Black Chaos" in either player's graveyard.  
  
**Harpie's Feather Duster**: MAGIC/Desc: Destroy all of your opponent's magic and trap cards on the field.  
  
**Double Spell**: MAGIC/Desc: Discard one spell card from your hand. Select one spell card in your opponent's graveyard and use it as your spell card.  
  
**Pot of Greed**: MAGIC/Desc: Draw 2 cards from your deck.  
  
**Cyber Harpie**: Level 4/ 1800/1300/ Winged Beast/ Desc: This card may be treated as "Harpie Lady"  
  
**Raise Dead**: MAGIC/Desc: Select and special summon one monster in either player's graveyard to the field in face-up attack or defense position.  
  
**Arrow Claw**: EQUIPMENT MAGIC/Desc: This card may only be equipped to a "Harpie Lady." When this card is sent from the field to the graveyard, equip it to a "Harpie Lady" on your side of the field.  
  
**Skull Red Bird**: Level 4/ 1500/1150/ Winged Beast Type  
  
**Shift**: TRAP/Desc: You can activate this card when your opponent designates 1 monster on your side of the Field as the target of a Magic, Trap, or battle attack. Change the target to a different monster on your side of the Field.  
  
**Cyber Jar**: Level 3/ 900/900/ Rock/ Desc: Destroy all monsters on the field (including this monster). Both players then pick up (not Draw) 5 cards from the top of their respective Decks and show the cards to each other. Immediately Special Summon any Monster Cards of Level 4 or lower among them on the field in face-up Attack Position or face-down Defense Position. The rest of the cards picked up are placed in the player's hand.  
  
**Breaker the Magical Warrior**: Level 4/ 1600/1000/ Spellcaster/Desc: When this card is successfully normal summoned, place 1 spell counter on it (max. 1). Remove one spell counter from this card to destroy one magic or trap card on the field.  
  
**Skilled White Magician**: Level 4/ 1700/1900/ Spellcaster/ Desc: Each time you or your opponent activates a spell card, place one spell counter on this card (max. 3) Offer this card and 3 spell counters on it as a tribute during your main phase to special summon one "Buster Blader" from your hand, deck, or graveyard.  
  
**Gemini Elf**: Level 4/ 1900/900/ Spellcaster  
  
**Faith Bird**: Level 4/ 1500/1100/ Winged Beast Type  
  
**Blue Winged Crown**: Level 4/ 1600/1200/ Winged Beast Type  
  
**Dark Magician**: Level 7/ 2500/2100/ Spellcaster Type  
  
**Dark Magic Attack**: MAGIC/Desc: You may only activate this card when you have a face-up "Dark Magician." Destroy all magic and trap cards on your opponent's side of the field.  
  
**Amazoness Shield**: Level 4/ 1500/2200/ Desc: This card cannot be normal summoned. If this card is normal summoned, it is destroyed. When your opponent attacks this card in defense mode and does not destroy it, one card is randomly discarded from your opponent's hand. Offer this card along with another monster with "Amazoness" in its name or "Amazon Archer" on your side of the field to special summon Amazon Spear Master from your deck or graveyard to the field.  
  
**Graceful Charity**: MAGIC/Desc: Draw 3 cards from your deck, and then discard any 2 cards from your hand.  
  
**Swords of Revealing Light**: MAGIC/Desc: Counting from your opponent's turn, none of your opponent's monsters can attack for 3 turns. When this card is activated, opponent's face-down monsters are turned face-up, but remain in Defense Position. Any effects the monsters may have are immediately activated.  
  
**Garvas**: Level 4/ 2000/1500/ Winged Beast Type  
  
**Rising Air Current**: FIELD MAGIC/Desc: Increase the attack of all WIND monsters by 500 points, and lower their defense by 400 points.  
  
**Sakuretsu Armor**: TRAP/Desc: Activate this card when your opponent attacks. Destroy your opponent's attacking monster.  
  
**Soul Exchange**: MAGIC/Desc: Select an opponent's monster and use it as a Tribute in place of one of your own. You must skip your Battle Phase for the turn in which this card is activated.  
  
**Jinzo**: Level 6/ 2400/1500/ Machine/Desc: As long as this card remains face- up on the field, all trap cards cannot be activated. The effects of all face-up trap cards are also negated.  
  
**Birdface**: Level 4/ 1600/1600/ Winged Beast/Desc: When this card is sent to the graveyard as a result of battle, add one "Harpie Lady" card from your deck to your hand.  
  
**Grave Arm**: QUICK-PLAY MAGIC/Desc: Destroy one monster on the field.  
  
**Amazon Fighter**: Level 4/ 1300/1300/ Warrior/Desc: All battle damage this card's controller takes due to battle with this monster becomes 0.  
  
**Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer**: Level 4/ 1800/700/ Spellcaster/Desc: When this card inflicts battle damage to your opponent's life points, you may select and remove 2 monsters from your opponent's graveyard from play. As long as this card remains face-up on the field, neither monster can remove a card from play.  
  
**Magic Formula**: EQUIP MAGIC/Desc: Only a "Dark Magician", "Dark Magician Girl" or a fusion of "Dark Magician" may be equipped with this card. Increase the monster's attack power by 500. When this card is destroyed and sent to the graveyard, gain 1000 life points.  
  
**Bait Doll**: MAGIC/Desc: Force the activation of 1 face-down Trap Card. If the timing of the activation of the Trap Card is incorrect, negate the effect and destroy it. If it is not a Trap Card, it is returned to its original position. After this card is activated, it is placed into the Deck (not the Graveyard). The Deck is then shuffled.  
  
**Harpie's Phoenix Mirror**: MAGIC/Desc: Select one "Harpie Lady" in your deck or graveyard and special summon it to the field. During the turn this card is activated, no "Harpie Lady" on your side of the field may attack.  
  
**Elegant Egotist**: MAGIC/Desc: Activating this card while you have a "Harpie Lady" on your side of the field allows you to special summon a "Harpie Lady" or "Harpie Lady Sisters" card from your deck to the field.  
  
**Air Rampage**: MAGIC/Desc: You may only activate this card when you have at least 2 WIND monsters on the field. Special summon one WIND monster with less than 2000 attack points from your deck, hand, or graveyard, to the field in face up attack position (no tributes required for level 5 and up.) The deck is then shuffled. During this turn, the special summoned monster may not attack.  
  
**Harpie's Pet Dragon**: Level 7/ 2000/2500/ Dragon Type/Desc: This card gains 300 attack and defense points for each face-up "Harpie Lady" on your side of the field. This card gains 900 attack and defense points for each face- up "Harpie Lady Sisters" on your side of the field.  
  
**Scapegoat**: QUICK-PLAY MAGIC/Desc: When this card is activated, you cannot summon any monster in the same turn (including Flip Summon and Special Summon). Place 4 'Sheep Tokens' (Beast-Type/EARTH/1 Star/ATK 0/DEF 0) in Defense Position on the your side of the field. The tokens cannot be used as a Tribute for a Tribute Summon.  
  
**Aqua Chorus**: TRAP/Desc: If there are monsters with the same name on the field. Increase the ATK and DEF of all those monsters with the same name by 500 points.

Well, I gave you all the pleasure (hopefully) of reading this chapter, so you all can (hopefully) leave me a review, which would be most appreciative! Ya'll know you want to...

v click me!


	33. Trio Attack, Part 2: Kevin's Comeback

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 32 for details. I do not own Kevin Hunter (owned by Blue-Eyes White Knight) or the "Mystery Duelist" (whose name will be revealed later, and she is owned by BlakDragon220). So there you go. If you're stealing characters from my friends, we're going to have a long talk with my "little friend." Haha! Author powers rule!  
**  
**A/N: Response to Review left by "Mr. Joy"**  
  
I'm lucky I checked my e-mail; otherwise I would have never seen your question. Okay, the story behind what happened to "Duelist's Haven" is as follows:  
  
I was having an awful day and to make it worse, no one was taking me seriously that day. So, after getting angry with two of my biggest reviewers, I threatened to delete my story. Of course, they didn't take me seriously, so I deleted it. A few weeks later I decided to recover it and continue, however, Chapters 12-47 weren't in the Recycle Bin. I had accidentally deleted them permanently. Since I didn't feel like putting in all that hard work again, Chapter 1 of this story is actually Chapter 48 of the other one, so I just continued from there.  
  
Kind of makes me sad I deleted it, but in my opinion, and several reviewers, this story's a whole lot better!  
  
Also, you won't be missing out on anything plot-important from the old story to this one.  
  
Answer your question? If not, leave me another review! cough bad advertising cough  
  
**Chapter 33: Trio Attack, Part 2: Comeback**  
  
The scores were Kevin: 2000, Mai: 2400. Kevin's field was completely empty while Mai had 3 Harpie Ladies and a Harpie's Pet Dragon dominating the field. On top of that, all 4 of Mai's monsters were powered up by her Rising Air Current. However, her 3 Harpie Ladies were further powered by the Aqua Chorus trap card. It seemed as if this would be Kevin's last turn. He held one card in his hand, a Polymerization magic card.  
  
Kevin slowly drew and was pleased with his draw. "I activate the magic card, Card of Sanctity! It makes both of us draw until we have 6 cards in our hand!" he explained while he drew 5 new cards, Mai drew one. She yawned slightly. Kevin smiled at his full hand. "Now Mai, I'll summon Dark Blade (1800/1500) in attack mode!"  
  
"Wow. My Pet Dragon will burn your swordsman to ashes in my next turn!" Mai strongly retorted.  
  
"You've got one part right. Your pet dragon could burn my monster to ashes, but you'll be waiting three turns! Now I activate one of my newest cards, Swords of Revealing Light!" Kevin smiled as a dozen yellow swords locked themselves in place around Mai's monsters, paralyzing them.  
  
Mai growled as she drew. "I'll set two cards face down and end my turn, hun."  
  
Kevin drew. "This card will help me destroy some of Mai's strategy" he thought. "I activate the magic card, Lightning Blade! This card equips to my Dark Blade, raising his attack strength by 800 points to 2600! Dark Blade, attack a Harpie Lady!" commanded Kevin as his monster's original sword was replaced by a stronger, heavier sword swirled in electricity. It jumped up and stabbed the Harpie Lady with its sword, electrocuting and destroying her. (M's LP: 2100)  
  
"Not only did my attack destroy one of your "lovely" Harpie Ladies, it also caused your Pet Dragon to lose 300 attack points!" pointed out Kevin, as the dragon grew slightly weaker. (3100/2700)  
  
"That may be so, but you've fallen into both of my trap cards! Reveal, my first card, Attack and Receive! You've cut down my life points, now I cut yours down by 700!" she declared as a small missile fired at Kevin. (**K's LP: 1300**)  
  
"Then, there's my other number, Call for Defense! It allows me to special summon an amazon monster from my hand. Now I summon to the field, Amazon Spear Master (2500/2000)!" she explained as her amazon dropped onto the field, wielding a strong spear whip. "My amazon monster packs a powerful punch. Don't be so quick to take it on. But now" she drew. "I'll pass this turn."  
  
Kevin drew. "Great, just one more turn for my Swords of Revealing Light, and I've pretty much done nothing to combat her strategy. Guess I have to hope for the best" he thought. "I'll set one card face down. Now Dark Blade, attack another Harpie Lady!" commanded Kevin as the Harpie Lady was electrocuted and destroyed. (**M's LP: 1800**)  
  
"Why did she do that?" thought Kevin. "My Dark Blade easily over powers her Harpie Lady, and I've brought down her pet dragon to 2800 attack points and 2400 defense points. Is she planning something? Well, if she is, my face down card will easily help crush that." He thought, ending his turn.  
  
Mai drew. "My Aqua Chorus trap card is no longer in effect since I only have one Harpie Lady on the field, so it's weaker than normal. Oh well, as soon as he attacks Harpie Lady again, it's all over for him" she smiled to herself.  
  
Kevin drew as his Swords of Revealing Light expired, leaving Mai open to attack on her next turn. He looked over his hand and found a combo that could wipe out Mai's monsters. "Alright Mai, I activate this magic card! It's known as Foolish Burial! I can place one of my monsters from my hand into my graveyard" he explained, slipping a card into the graveyard.  
  
"What's that supposed to do?" Mai yawned.  
  
"It'll do a lot when I activate Sacrifice Dead! By sacrificing my Dark Blade, I can revive my Buster Blader!" called Kevin as his mighty warrior burst from the earth. Its face covered in its orange and purple armor. It carried with it a thick, strong sword, ready to slice up any opposition. (2600/2300)  
  
"Don't forget! Buster Blader gains 500 attack points for each dragon on the field, so your Harpie's Pet Dragon just gave it a juicy power bonus!" Kevin smiled as his monster glowed briefly, its stats rising to 3100/2300. "Buster Blader, attack Mai's remaining Harpie Lady!" he commanded as the monster ran to the winged female, slicing her in half before her hologram vanished. (**M's LP: 500**)  
  
"Yes!" mentally cheered Kevin. He was in the lead, for the first time, and his monster had more attack points than any of Mai's cards. There was no way she could win. She drew.  
  
"Now he pays" she thought. "I'll activate my Amazon Spear Master's special ability now!" she announced picking up 15 cards off the top of her deck.  
  
"Uh oh. This doesn't look like something I'll enjoy" thought Kevin, but he soon shrugged it off, after all, he was commanding on of the most powerful creatures in the entire game of Duel Monsters.  
  
"In case you're wondering, my Spear Master's effect allows me to special summon any Amazon monster from the cards I just picked up. I found two. So come forth, the Unfriendly Amazon (2000/1000) and my Amazoness Tiger (1100/1500)" Mai announced as a tiger came crawling onto the field, along with an angry warrior in silver armor, carrying a curved sword with her.  
  
"I think you're forgetting something! None of your monsters can match the strength of my Buster Blader!" exclaimed Kevin.  
  
Mai sighed and then burst, "I guess I need to explain this too. My Amazon's second effect is even better for the first. For every Amazon monster I just summoned to the field, your Buster Blader loses 500 attack points. I count 2 Amazon monsters, so Buster Blader is back even weaker than it started" explained Mai as Kevin's monster glowed in a purple aura, and slightly shrunk, along with its attack points. (2100/2300)  
  
"Now! Harpie's Pet Dragon (2500/2100), attack the Buster Blader!" commanded Mai as her Pet Dragon gathered air, releasing it as a scorching flame, incinerating Kevin's last defense. (**K's LP: 900**)  
  
"But once again, since I used the special ability of my Amazon Spear Master, none of my Amazon monsters can attack this turn. So go ahead and draw, not like it will do much, though" Mai teased while Kevin drew.  
  
Kevin was satisfied with the card he drew. It would provide him with some defense until he could figure out a strategy to destroy Mai. However, he also needed some life points, so he came up with a perfect strategy. "Alright Mai!" called Kevin. "I'll summon one monster in defense mode, and activate the magic card, Secret Medicine! I'll discard all 4 cards in my hand to gain 2000 life points!" he explained as he discarded his hand. Sparkling rain briefly rained upon Kevin, and his score saw a drastic change. (**K's LP: 2900**)  
  
"I'll end my turn" a look of determination met his eyes.  
  
Mai drew. "Useless for now" she thought.  
  
"I won't sacrifice a monster, so I'll destroy my Unfriendly Amazon." Mai announced as her monster exploded. "Harpie's Pet Dragon, attack his face down card!" commanded Mai as her dragon launched the same stream of fire at the monster. However, to Mai's surprise, a small zombie was on Kevin's side of the field. Its stats showed up as 300/200.  
  
"What?? That's impossible? How could your monster, with a bad choice in clothing I might add, survive the attack of my Pet Dragon? My monster has well over 10 times the attack of your card's defense. You must have cheated. You cheated, didn't you? I knew I should have never dueled you, because I knew you would have cheated!" Mai burst, catching Kevin off- guard.  
  
"Kind of like the way you did when you first dueled Joey?" added Kevin.  
  
Mai kept quiet then. "Anyway" went on Kevin. "My Spirit Reaper prevents it from being destroyed by any of your monster's attacks. "I'm safe"  
  
Mai growled, knowing there was a hole in her strategy. She had no monster removal cards in her entire deck, not even Raigeki or Dark Hole. She thought her monsters were powerful enough to destroy all of her opponent's monsters. That was her strategy: get powerful monsters on the field and remove all magic and trap cards. She then remembered something, a card she added to her deck. After winning her 3rd duel, and taking the rarest card of her opponent, she added it to her deck. It was the D.D. Warrior Lady. She did have one monster removal card in her deck, all she needed to do was draw it.  
  
Meanwhile, it was Kevin's turn. After drawing a card, he declared "Watch this! I summon Copycat (0/0) to the field in attack mode!" he declared as his circus looking creature holding a mirror in front of its face appeared on the field.  
  
"Really. A zero attack point monster. Yawn" Mai responded.  
  
"Don't be fooled by its weak appearance. Now I'll activate its special ability, allowing me to copy one card on your side of the field or in your graveyard! I know just which one I want to!" he announced as his Copycat card morphed into something.  
  
"Oh no" thought Mai. "If he copies my Pet Dragon, I'll be...safe" she remembered her face down card.  
  
"Go ahead and turn into my Pet Dragon, it won't be saving you for much longer" she thought, until Copycat morphed into Mai's Raise Dead card. She gasped.  
  
"Raise Dead?" she worriedly thought of the possible outcomes this card would create. From the earth rose up one of Kevin's favorite creatures, his loyal Buster Blader. The warrior's orange and purple armor reflected in the sunlight.  
  
"Get ready Mai. Buster Blader (3100/2300) attack Mai's Amazoness Tiger!" Kevin commanded as his warrior leapt from the ground, ready to slice up the Tiger.  
  
"Reveal trap, The Regulation of Tribe! This card will stop any creature I choose from attacking. I think I'll take, oh I don't know...warrior cards" Mai smiled as two sets of chains emerged from the card. While one set wrapped around Mai's Amazon Spear Master, the other set wrapped itself around Buster Blader, right before it reached its target.  
  
Kevin growled. However, he noticed a key point. Mai would have to discard one card each turn she planned to use her trap's effect, and since her Amazon monsters were warriors too, Kevin figured that her trap wouldn't last long. Mai drew.  
  
"I'll choose to destroy my trap card, letting all warrior creatures attack again" Mai first announced, as the chains keeping the two monsters captive shattered. "But I only did that so you can witness the destruction I have planned for you! Activate magic card, Sky Patrol! This magic card allows me to return one wind monster with less than 2000 attack points from the graveyard to my hand. Do you know which one I want?" she teased.  
  
"Let me guess..." muttered Kevin.  
  
"Check this out! Go Harpie Lady (1300/1400)!" Mai announced as her favorite winged creature materialized on the field, letting out her signature screech. "Don't forget. Now that I have a Harpie Lady on the field, my Pet Dragon gains 300 more attack points" she pointed out as her pet dragon's attack and defense points rose (2800/2400)  
  
"But not by enough" retorted Kevin.  
  
"That's a problem I'm fixing to take care of" Mai showed a card in her hand.  
  
Kevin gasped then snarled, seeing Mai's plan. "I activate yet another Elegant Egotist magic card! I'll use it this time to transform my one Harpie Lady into three!" she announced, sliding a new monster card onto her Duel Disk. Instantly, the Harpie Lady was engulfed in green light. Out of the light, 2 clone Harpie Ladies appeared, one in purple, the other in orange. All 3 of the Harpie Ladies let out a screech.  
  
"Now I have 3 Harpie Ladies instead of one. You know what that means, right? Harpie's Pet Dragon gains 600 more attack and defense points, raising his attack total to 3400, 300 more attack points higher than your Buster Blader! Harpie's Pet Dragon, attack Buster Blader!" commanded Mai as her monster in took air, releasing it as a stream of fire. It almost hit the warrior when...

------------------  
Elsewhere in the tournament, a mystery duelist was fixing to complete her sixth and final duel required to enter the finals. Her opponent was an average duelist, who won some, lost some, and whose deck could use a tune- up. This "Mystery Duelist" had one dragon class monster on the field, while her opponent summoned one of the most powerful monsters in the game, Berserk Dragon (3500/0).  
  
"Attack all of her monsters, Berserk Dragon!" commanded the opponent as the dead hair, bony, skinny winged dragon obeyed his master, sending large fireballs annihilating all of the "Mystery Duelist's" monsters, and cutting her life points down to **100**.  
  
"Activate trap!" the Mystery Duelist sprang. "Attack and Receive! Now your life points are cut down to **100** also" she explained.  
  
"Yeah, I know how the card works" the opponent responded. The opponent ended his turn, as his dragon's power lowered to 3000.  
  
The Mystery Duelist calmly drew. "I win" she declared.  
  
"How so?" inquired her opponent.  
  
"I activate Graceful Charity, allowing me to draw 3 cards and then discard 2" she did as the effect stated. "Next, I activate this Raise Dead magic card to bring back and old friend" she smiled as her faithful dragon appeared. Its scales were a sky color with golden armor plates equipped scattered on its body. The scales faded to a deep blue coming towards the wide wingspan when it landed on eagle-talon feet and an unraveled scroll floating around its overall body; its sapphire eyes glaring at her opponent.  
  
"Remember Sirius, Winged Dragon from the Sky Above? It's back and ready to finish you off! Go Sirius, attack his Berserk Dragon!" commanded the Mystery Duelist as her dragon charged up a blast of periwinkle colored energy, releasing it in a stream and destroying Berserk Dragon, ending the match. (**Opponent's LP: 0**)  
  
She shut off her Duel Disk and walked over to her opponent. "It was a great match." She congratulated her mystery opponent.  
  
"Yeah" he agreed, getting to his feet.  
  
"But by tournament rules, I get your rarest card" she reminded him who brushed it off.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, I know" he searched through his deck, finding some light dragon monster. He handed it to her. "Its effect can be really powerful if you play it correctly" he told her, before disappearing into the city.  
  
She stared at the card. "Hmm. Candela of Light." She thought, before she placed it on top of her deck. "Wow! I can't believe I'm qualified for the finals in just 2 days of dueling! I'd better go and..." she began, but her stomach was growling "get a bite to eat." She smiled to herself and walked off; via the same route her opponent had taken.  
  
Up on the rooftop, a mysterious figure was watching her. He jumped across several rooftops, before landing in an alley. A purple and black portal opened underneath him, and he instantly fell through. He walked into a chamber, up to a person sitting atop a throne and bowed his head slightly.  
  
"It seems I have found one of our "special interests." The mysterious figure announced.  
  
"Perfect. Just 5 more and the Pharaoh himself won't possess enough power to defeat me" smiled the leader, sitting on his throne.  
--------------------------------  
The fire attack from Harpie's Pet Dragon swept across the arena, ready to annihilate Kevin's Buster Blader.  
  
"Reveal trap! Go, Dust Tornado!" called Kevin as his trap flipped up.  
  
"So it can destroy one lousy card. Big deal, Elegant Egotist's magic has already been used, and it's in the graveyard, so you can't destroy it" she laughed at his amateur mistake.  
  
"I know Mai, and my target is your field!" She gasped, remembering her field magic card, the only thing giving her Harpie's Pet Dragon enough strength to defeat Buster Blader. A giant wind tornado appeared, absorbing the Rising Air Current and all of its effects. All the wind monster's attack power was lowered 500, while their defense power increased by 400. (Harpie Lady Sisters: 1950/2150, Harpie's Pet Dragon: 2900/3400)  
  
Buster Blader easily reflected the oncoming fire attack with his sword. He then ran up, slaying Mai's great beast. (**M's LP: 300**)  
  
"No! This can't be happening!" Mai cried.  
  
"Oh it is! Now end your turn so that I may end this duel!" Kevin demanded.  
  
"I'll switch Amazon Spear Master into defense mode, set one card face down, and then I'll end my turn" Mai responded.  
  
Kevin drew. "Yes! For once, I'm actually in control of this duel' he smiled, until Mai cut him off.  
  
"Go! Thunder of Ruler! Now you aren't able to attack this turn" she explained, breathing a sigh of relief. "I bought myself one turn, now all I need is the right combination of cards" she thought, eyeing her hand. "Hello" she thought, noticing one card that would help her clench the match.  
  
"Well in that case, I'll set one card and finish my turn" Kevin glanced over his hand, nothing special, just a Move Dead card, Polymerization, and some monster he didn't even notice. "Oh man! Oh well, I'll just play it on my next turn" he thought.  
  
Mai drew. "I bet that face down card is a trap, whenever I try to attack his Buster Blader. I'll fix that!" she chuckled to herself. "First I play the magic card, Second Sweep, allowing me to destroy all of your magic and trap cards on the field!" Mai explained as a twister, similar to the one of Harpie's Feather Duster swept across Kevin's field, destroying his Chasm of Spikes card. He growled at her. She winked.  
  
"O...k" Kevin thought.  
  
"Next, I'm activating this card! It's known as Revival of the Harpie's Pet Dragon! It allows me to summon Cyber Harpie (1800/1300) in attack mode! However, now I can sacrifice Amazon Spear Master along with Cyber Harpie to summon a second Harpie's Pet Dragon (2000/2500)!" Both of her tributes disappeared into a blast of fire. From the fire emerged a second pet dragon, steam leaking from its mouth.  
  
"Remember, Pet Dragon gains 900 attack points for my 3 Harpie Ladies on the field!" she explained as her dragon's stats rose to 2900/3400.  
  
"You've overlooked something Mai! My Buster Blader gains another 500 attack points since you've summoned another dragon type monster to the field" Kevin replied, as Buster Blader's attack points increased to 3600.  
  
"You think I'm an amateur. I knew that! And these 3 cards in my hand will make sure you know that two! I'm activating these 3 equipment magic cards!" she declared, placing them all on the field.  
  
"Equip cards?!?" Kevin screamed to himself.  
  
"First up, there's Dragon Nails, increasing Harpie's Pet Dragon's attack power by 600 points" she explained as the dragon's nails became encased in silver steel, adding to his power (3400/3400). "Next, I've activated Gust Fan, giving Pet Dragon 400 more attack points, putting his strength above Buster Blader's" she smiled as her dragon glowed in green light, attack strength rising. (3800/3400)  
  
"And last but certainly not least, I'll activate Cyber Shield, giving all 3 of my Harpy Lady Sisters a well deserved makeover!" she yelled as golden shoulder pads, golden breastplates, and golden leg pads covered all 3 Harpie Ladies, increasing their attack power as well (2450/2150)  
  
"You're finished" she smiled. "With no set magic or trap cards, your life points will be almost gone. And I highly doubt you can pull another staller out of your hat. Harpie's Pet Dragon, attack Buster Blader using your Fearsome Fire Blast!" commanded Mai as the dragon unleashed another wave of fire, melting away Kevin's defending warrior. (**K's LP: 2700**)  
  
"No! I can't lose, not after coming this far!" Kevin thought.  
  
Meanwhile, Mai was commanding her next assault. Harpie Lady Sisters, attack him directly!" Her Harpie Ladies obeyed, forming a triangle. An "X" made out of complete energy stormed across the arena, knocking straight into Kevin, knocking him down on one knee, his life points almost gone. (**K's LP: 250**)  
  
Kevin got up. "Your move!" Mai called.  
  
"You won't win" he told her. "Come on deck, don't fail me now. This is the time when I need you the most" he pulled the top card off his deck. It was a Pot of Greed magic card. He looked at the monster, Skilled Dark Magician. "Come on" he thought.  
  
"Get ready Mai! This monster will be able to win me the duel!" Kevin warned.  
  
"Oh really? What monster could that be?" inquired Mai.  
  
"This one! I summon Skilled Dark Magician (1900/1700) in attack mode!" exclaimed Kevin as the mage wearing black robes, wielding a skinny black staff appeared on the field.  
  
Mai burst out laughing. "You've got to be joking? That third rate magician better stick to children's birthday parties, because my Harpies can EASILY destroy him. You are an amateur huh? It showed back in our duel with Damien."  
  
Kevin ignored her comments and continued. "First, I'm activating Pot of Greed to draw 2 cards from my deck" he announced, drawing his first card, Goblin Attack Force.  
  
"That's not what I need. Come on deck!" he thought, drawing his second card, Emblem of Dragon Destroyer. "Right on cue!"  
  
"Next, I'm activating my Emblem of Dragon Destroyer magic card! This allows me to put my Buster Blader from my graveyard into my hand!" he explained as his graveyard slot spat back out the Buster Blader. Kevin snatched it, adding it to his hand.  
  
"Then, I'll use this card, Move Dead! It allows me to place my Black Magician from my graveyard into my hand!" he finished as his graveyard slot also ejected Dark Magician. Kevin added it to his hand.  
  
"So you've played some second rate revival cards. Your mage still doesn't overpower my Harpies." Mai commented.  
  
"He may not, but I have a monster that can! Look above my mage, Mai. Since I've played three magic cards, my monster gains three magic counters! Now I sacrifice my three magic counters along with Skilled Dark Magician to special summon Black Magician (2500/2100) to the field!" yelled Kevin as his monster shot up a beam of black energy in the sky. From the energy floated down a magician wearing purple robes outlined in orange wielding a green staff. His hair was yellow-green and he housed a pair of cold eyes. When the magician reached the field, Skilled Dark Magician and his counters were no more.  
  
"Attack me. Your Dark Magician can destroy my Harpies, but next turn Pet Dragon will be strong enough to defeat your Dark Magician." Mai added, whistling that victory was one turn away.  
  
"I will attack Mai. As soon as I activate my final magic card! Polymerization, go, combine Dark Magician with Buster Blader!" Kevin demanded as Buster Blader appeared on the field. Both monsters flew into the sky and merged, revealing a much more powerful monster. He wore dark aqua marine armor with gold all around it, and wielded a deadlier weapon, like Dark Magician's staff and Buster Blader's sword in one. The mage floated down to the field.  
  
"Oh no!" thought Mai.  
  
"I've got Black Paladin (2900/2400) on my side of the field! And don't forget his special ability, Mai! He gains 500 attack points for every dragon in the graveyard and each one on the field. If I count correctly, there are 4 dragons, giving my Black Paladin 2000 more attack points! Black Paladin, end this match! Attack the Harpie La..." he began but noticed the look of sadness on Mai's face. Apparently, she would be devastated if her Harpie Ladies were destroyed.  
  
"Well, I am fixing to win after all. It's the least I could do." He thought, shifting his target. "Attack Harpie's Pet Dragon!" he corrected himself as the Black Paladin raised his staff, and a light blue energy ball appeared on it. The ball radiated until it was strong enough to slice off the dragon's head, which it did. All holograms on the field faded as the victor had been decided. (**M's LP: 0**) Mai sighed. Kevin walked over to her. He helped her up.  
  
"Well, I may have lost, but that was fun, kid" she handed him her rarest card.  
  
"It's a good card in any deck" she told him, as he looked at it. It was a Harpie's Feather Duster! "Good luck in the finals" she congratulated him, as they went their separate ways.  
  
"I can't believe this! I'm already qualified for the finals, and I got a Harpie's Feather Duster!" Kevin kept telling himself, heading to Kaiba Corp. to register for the finals. He met up with Yugi and the others there.  
  
"Hey guys!" Kevin smiled.  
  
"Hey Kevin!" Yugi replied. "Are you in the finals too?"  
  
"Yup, and check it out! Mai gave me her Harpie's Feather Duster card!" he added, showing it to the gang.  
  
"Awesome!" cheered Joey. Everyone registered and was told they would spend the night in a wing of Kaiba Corp, especially reserved for tournament finalists. Kaiba would give them instructions tomorrow, personally. However, unknown to everyone (except Kaiba's people, of course) one girl had been registered for the past hour. She sat in her room in deep thought.  
  
"This will be the hardest test ever, but I won't let him win. I'll find a way to defeat him, for if we both fail, who knows what danger will ensue!" she thought.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
**CARDS PLAYED**  
  
**Card of Sanctity**: MAGIC/Desc: Both players draw until they each hold 6 cards in their respective hands.  
  
**Dark Blade**: Level 4/ 1800/1500/ Warrior Type  
  
**Swords of Revealing Light**: MAGIC/Desc: Counting from your opponent's turn, none of your opponent's monsters can attack for 3 turns. When this card is activated, opponent's face-down monsters are turned face-up, but remain in Defense Position. Any effects the monsters may have are immediately activated.  
  
**Lightning Blade**: EQUIPMENT MAGIC/Desc: This card can only be equipped to Warrior-Type monsters. Increases the ATK of the equipped monster by 800 points and decreases the ATK of all WATER monsters on the field by 500 points.  
  
**Attack and Receive**: TRAP/Desc: You can activate this card when you take damage to your Life Points. Inflict 700 points of Direct Damage to your opponent's Life Points. In addition, inflict 300 points of Direct Damage to your opponent's Life Points per card if there are additional "Attack and Receive" cards in your Graveyard.  
  
**Call for Defense**: TRAP/Desc: Activate this card when one of your monsters is destroyed as a result of battle and battle damage is inflicted upon your life points. Special summon one monster with "Amazon" in its name from your hand or graveyard to your side of the field in any position.  
  
**Amazon Spear Master**: Level 7/ 2500/2000/ Warrior Type/Desc: This card may only be normal summoned by sacrificing at least one monster with "Amazon" in its name. You may only activate this effect when your life points are 1500 or lower. Pick up 15 cards from your deck. Special summon any monster with "Amazoness' in its name or is named "Amazon Archer" from the picked up cards. For each monster special summoned in this way, decrease the ATK of all of your opponent's monsters by 500. During the turn this card is activated, monster's with "Amazoness" in their name or are named "Amazon Archer" cannot attack. During your third End Phase following the activation of this effect, all monsters on your side of the field with "Amazoness" or cards named "Amazon Archer" are destroyed.  
  
**Foolish Burial**: MAGIC/Desc: Place one monster from your hand into your graveyard.  
  
**Sacrifice Dead**: MAGIC/Desc: Sacrifice one monster on your side of the field. Special summon one monster from your graveyard in face-up attack position.  
  
**Buster Blader**: Level 7/ 2600/2300/ Warrior/Desc: The ATK of this card increases by 500 points for every Dragon-Type monster on your opponent's side of the field and Graveyard.  
  
**Unfriendly Amazon**: Level 4/ 2000/1000/ Warrior/Desc: Offer 1 of your monsters on the field as a Tribute (excluding this monster) during each of your Standby Phases. If you cannot, this card is destroyed. Monsters used for a Tribute Summon or that are offered as Tributes due to other cards' effects are excluded.  
  
**Amazoness Tiger**: Level 4/ 1100/1500/ Beast Type/Desc: Only 1 "Amazoness Tiger" can exist on your side of the field at a time. Increase the ATK of this monster by 400 points for each monster on your side of the field that includes "Amazoness" in its name, or is named "Amazon Archer". As long as this card remains face-up on the field, your opponent cannot select another monster on your side of the field that includes "Amazoness" in its name, or is named "Amazon Archer", as an attack target.  
  
**Secret Medicine**: MAGIC/Desc: Discard any number of cards from your hand. Increase your life points by 500 for each discarded card.  
  
**Spirit Reaper**: Level 3/ 300/200/ Zombie/Desc: This monster is not destroyed as a result of battle at any time, although damage calculation applied normally. When this card is specially designated as the effect of a Magic, Trap or Effect Monster Card, this card is immediately destroyed. When this card attacks your opponent's Life Points directly 1 card randomly selected from your opponent's hand and discarded to the Graveyard.  
  
**Copycat**: Level 1/ 0/0/ Spellcaster/ Desc: Sacrifice this monster. Activate one of the following effects: - Activate one magic or trap card on your opponent's side of the field or in your opponent's graveyard. –Special summon one "Copy Token." The Copy Token has the same ATK, DEF, Attribute, Type, and Level of a selected monster on your opponent's side of the field or in their graveyard.  
  
**The Regulation of Tribe**: TRAP/Desc: Select 1 Type of Monster. Any monster of the selected type cannot attack. To keep this card in effect, you must offer 1 monster from the Field as a Tribute at each of your Standby Phases. If you cannot, this card is destroyed.  
  
**Sky Patrol**: MAGIC/Desc: Special summon one WIND type monster from your graveyard with less than 2000 attack points.  
  
**Harpie Lady**: Level 4/ 1300/1400/ Winged Beast Type  
  
**Elegant Egotist**: MAGIC/Desc: When there are 1 or more "Harpie Lady" cards on the field, you can Special Summon 1 "Harpie Lady" or "Harpie Lady Sisters" card from your hand or your Deck.  
  
**Harpie Lady Sisters**: Level 6/ 1950/2150/ Winged Beast Type/Desc: This monster can only be Special Summoned with the Magic Card "Elegant Egotist".  
  
**Berserk Dragon**: Level 8/ 3500/0/ Zombie/Desc: This card can only be Special Summoned by the effect of "A Deal with Dark Ruler". This card can attack all monsters on your opponent's side of the field once. You cannot attack your opponent directly if you attack any monsters first. Decrease the ATK of this card by 500 points during each of your End Phases.  
  
**Graceful Charity**: MAGIC/Desc: Draw 3 cards from your deck, and then discard any 2 cards from your hand.  
  
**Raise Dead**: MAGIC/Desc: Select 1 Monster Card from either your opponent's or your own Graveyard and place it on the field under your control in Attack or Defense Position (face-up). This is considered a Special Summon.  
  
**Sirius Wing Dragon of the Sky Above**: Level 8/ Dragon/Desc: When this monster is sent to the Graveyard, Special Summon one "Hades Core Dragon of the Earth Under" from your hand or your Deck in face- up attack mode or defense mode. If Special Summoned from your Deck, the Deck is then shuffled. As long as this card is face-up on the field, all Life Point damage (excluding Battle Damage) done to the cardholder become 0.  
  
**Dust Tornado**: TRAP/Desc: Destroy 1 Magic or Trap Card on your opponent's side of the field. You can then Set 1 Magic or Trap Card from your hand.  
  
**Thunder of Ruler**: TRAP/Desc: You can only activate this card during your opponent's Standby Phase. During the turn this card is activated your opponent cannot perform his/her Battle Phase.  
  
**Second Sweep**: MAGIC/Desc: You may only activate this card is there is a face up "Harpie Lady" or "Harpie Lady Sisters" face-up on the field. Destroy all of your opponent's magic and trap cards on the field.  
  
**Revival of Harpie's Pet Dragon**: MAGIC/Desc: You may only activate this card if there is a face-up "Harpie Lady" or "Harpie Lady Sisters" on the field. You may special summon a monster from your hand. Then you may special summon a Harpie's Pet Dragon by sacrificing two monsters on your side of the field.  
  
**Dragon Nails**: EQUIPMENT MAGIC/Desc: A Dragon monster equipped with this card raises its attack by 600.  
  
**Gust Fan**: EQUIPMENT MAGIC/Desc: A WIND monster equipped with this card increases its ATK by 400 points and decreases its DEF by 200 points.  
  
**Cyber Shield**: EQUIPMENT MAGIC/Desc: A "Harpie Lady" or "Harpie Lady Sisters" equipped with this card raises its ATK by 500 points.  
  
**Skilled Dark Magician**: Level 4/ 1900/1700/ Magician /Desc: Each time you or your opponent activates 1 Spell Card, put 1 Spell Counter on this card (max. 3). You can Special Summon 1 "Dark Magician" from your hand, Deck, or Graveyard in face-up Attack or Defense Position by offering this monster with 3 Spell Counters as a Tribute during your Main Phase.  
  
**Pot of Greed**: MAGIC/Desc: Draw 2 cards from your deck.  
  
**Emblem of Dragon Destroyer**: MAGIC/Desc: Select one "Buster Blader" in your deck or graveyard and add it to your hand.  
  
**Move Dead**: MAGIC/Desc: Select one monster in your graveyard and place it in your hand.  
  
**Black Magician**: Level 7/ 2500/2100/ Magician Type  
  
**Polymerization**: MAGIC/Desc: Fuse 2 or more Fusion Material monsters into a new fusion monster.  
  
**Black Paladin**: Level 8/ 2900/2400/ Magician/Desc: "Dark Magician" "Buster Blader" This monster can only be Special Summoned by Fusion Summon. As long as this card remains face-up on the field, you can negate the activation of 1 Spell Card and destroy the Spell Card by discarding 1 card from your hand. The ATK of this card increases by 500 points for each Dragon-Type monster on the field and in either Graveyard.


	34. Bakura v Kaiba, Part 1: Rise of the Shad...

**Disclaimer: **See Chapter 33 for details

**A/N: **Due to lack of ideas, I apologize for the long period between updates. However, a new season begins with this chapter (or maybe its just season 2 and a half....)

**Chapter 34: Bakura v. Kaiba: Duel In Darkness, Part 1: Rise of the Shadows**

"Let's hurry up and get this over with so I may walk away with the final victory" Kaiba proclaimed as he glanced at Yugi, leading them to an upper level of KaibaCorp. where Yugi noticed a dueling arena.

"Okay people. Since I don't feel like piloting a blimp across a city or having it jacked by a twelve-year-old kid and a bunch of psychotic ex-employees of mine, there is no blimp! This will be the only dueling location of my tournament's finals. There will be four quarter-final matches, two semi-final matches, and then there will be one final match. The way the matches will be decided will be up to a number of the finalists. For you see, while one finalist will be chosen to duel, the remaining finalists must choose the opponent for the finalist!"

"Hmm. These rounds will be more psychological than anything. One person is chosen to duel, but the finalists choose the second opponent. That can make or break someone's chance at victory. I'll just have to be on my guard about who goes against whom" Yugi wondered, as Kaiba continued on.

"Any questions, good I didn't think so" he said in one breath. "Let's move on! Announce the first competitor!" Kaiba demanded.

The tournament official obeyed Kaiba's order. "Using a method before this meeting, the first opponent has been selected to be...Ryou Bakura!" he announced, thrusting his hand upward into the air. Ryou was a bit taken back by the sudden announcement, but soon regained his confidence. He walked over and stood on the circle outlined for the finalist to stand on. The circle began to hum and lift up off the ground.

"What the hell is going on?!!?" wondered Bakura, watching the circle carefully for any sign that he may want to get off. It flew back until it was 15 feet above the top level of Kaibacorp.

"Oh, I forgot to mention we'll be dueling in mid-air. However, notice the small space that you have to stand on. If I were you, I'd be careful where I step, and I'd also play my cards right. Too many direct attacks and you may end up falling off. As soon as the duel is over, the hover-spheres will instantly return to the top level of Kaibacorp. But don't worry, you won't die. The hover-spheres will catch you, considering you don't fall too quickly, but enough about that. However, if no one does, then everyone should survive to see next Wednesday, and Kaibacorp. won't be sued and lose millions upon millions of dollars."

"That's all find and dandy, but I don't feel like staying up here while you go on and on about your "precious company" sneered Bakura.

"Fine then Bakura, I'll take you on!" Kaiba loaded his deck in, duel disk glowing to authorize his access. Kaiba took his place on his hover-sphere as it floated into the air, equal at heighth to Bakura's. "This shouldn't be too much of a challenge. Bakura must be a skilled duelist to even make it to the final round, but can he fight the might of not only one of the three most powerful cards ever, but also against the power of the Blue Eyes White Dragon?" thought Kaiba as they both drew their opening hands.

"Let's duel!" Bakura and Kaiba called out in unison.

Bakura drew his sixth card. "Augh, no Diabound Carnal or any card that can help me summon it. However, Dark Necrofear is in my hand. I can use that until I can draw my ultimate monster" he evilly smiled. "I'll set one card face down and summon the Grand Tiki Elder (1500/800) in attack mode!" he announced as his hologram appeared, followed by a strange weird priest in purple robes.

"Next, I'll give our duel an elaborate more setting!" he explained, his Millennium Ring glowing to respond. Black and dark purple fog crept in from the air, making almost everything inside it invisible. Kaiba could barely even see Bakura's monsters. Even though Bakura knew he might have trouble noticing Kaiba's monsters, he would fare better, being the holder of the Millennium Ring. "I do believe you're familiar with the Shadow Realm?" Kaiba didn't budge. "Well get familiar, for once I win this silly little duel, you'll be trapped here until I choose to set you free, which will be...never" he evilly smiled.

Kaiba drew his sixth card. "I promise you, that won't happen. His face down card is probably a trap, but he must intend to activate it later; and I've got just the cards I needed, Cost Down, a monster, and my Blue Eyes White Dragon. Next turn, he's through, but I don't need to destroy my monster, so I'll set in defense mode" he planned out his first turn. "I summon my Mystic Horseman (1300/1550) in defense mode and I'll also place one card face down on the field" he announced as his half-man, half-horse monster appeared on the field, slightly neighing.

"What do you think those face-down cards are?" asked Joey on the sidelines.

"I'm not exactly sure. Bakura's face down card is probably a trap he'll activate if Kaiba attacks him. Knowing Kaiba, he's figured that out already and set a counter card face down, like maybe Enemy Controller or something. However, there's only one way we'll know for sure." Yugi replied to his friend's question.

Bakura drew. "Kaiba will regret not attacking me last turn" he thought. "Watch now, as I sacrifice my Grand Tiki Elder to summon the Legendary Devil (A/N: Legendary Fiend for those of us who think "demons" and "devils" are not appropriate. (1500/1800)!" Bakura announced as a misshaped fiend appeared on the field, blue skinned with occasional black here and there. He smiled a wicked grin.

"Nice plan, except both of your monsters have the same attack power." Kaiba pointed out a possible flew.

"Or does he? Because my trap card will change all that! Pyro Clock of Destiny, activate!" he announced as a clock appeared on the field. The hand switched from 0 to 1, as the field glowed in a mystical orange for a few seconds. When the orange light died down, the field remained the same.

"As I'm sure you already know, my Legendary Fiend gains 700 attack points each and every turn, and since my Pyro Clock of Destiny trap sped up the field by 1 turn, he gains the attack points! (2200/1800) Legendary Fiend, attack Kaiba's Mystic Horseman!" commanded Bakura as the monster shot two black beams from its eyes, slamming straight into the horseman, blowing him up.

"Thanks for destroying my monster! Now I'm able to activate this! Trap Lv. 4! Since you destroyed a monster on my side of the field, I'm now allowed to activate this trap, letting both of us summon a level 4 monster from our decks!" Kaiba explained, manually pulling out his deck and flipping through it, as did Bakura.

"I'll summon my Headless Knight (1450/1700) to the field" Bakura announced, his headless warrior in his faintly yellow glowing armor mystically making his way onto the field, sword ready to unleash an attack.

"Interesting." Kaiba thought. "I know Bakura has a more powerful level 4 monster in his deck, somewhere."

"You've let yourself summon a monster and the best you can do is stall? Just surrender, and I promise I won't lock you in the darkest part of the shadows." Bakura teased.

"Don't count on it. I plan to win! Blade Knight (1600/1100) to the field in attack mode!" Kaiba's blue armored warrior holding a thin blue sword and a heavy blue shield emerged from his 3-D card image.

"I bet Kaiba allowed me to destroy his Mystic Horseman so he could set himself up in a position for a sacrifice next turn. The fool, I'll teach him to try and pull surprise tactics on me" Bakura planned out his next move, selecting two cards on the field and placing them face down.

Kaiba drew. "The time has come! I'm activating the magic card Life Shortening Treasure! This allows me to draw 5 new cards, in exchange for discarding my hand 5 turns after activating this card!" he explained, snatching 5 cards off the top of his deck. "Next, I'll use this Cost Down magic card to reduce all monster's levels in my hand by 2, as soon as I discard this card!" he added.

Bakura smiled evilly. "Go ahead Kaiba, I'm all set to counter whatever you may summon."

"Finally, I'll sacrifice my Blade Knight to summon the all-powerful Blue Eyes White Dragon (3000/2500)!" he exclaimed as his weaker knight was replaced by an enormous blue and white dragon with two massive sets of teeth and shimmering blue eyes. It roared as it served its one true master.

"Blue Eyes White Dragon, attack his Legendary Fiend now!" commanded Kaiba as his faithful dragon opened his jaw creating static electricity, forming a ball of white lightning shooting from the dragon's mouth clear across the arena to the demon monster.

"Not quite Kaiba. My trap will change all of that, because I'm activating it! Arise, Cover Fire!" Bakura declared as his trap sprung up. Two sets of fire wrapped around Bakura's two monsters.

"Activate any card you want, my dragon will still take it down!" Kaiba remarked.

"I don't think so! Cover Fire, activate!" Bakura called as an essence from his Headless Knight flew into the soul (or no-soul) of the Legendary Fiend. The Legendary Fiend then shot out two black beams from its eyes, cutting through the Blue Eyes White Dragon's White Lightning attack, and igniting the dragon, then exploding it. (**K's LP: 3350**)

"I...don't...get it!?!! My dragon's attack power was clearly higher than your Legendary Fiend's! All your little trap did was create a wall of fire!!!" Kaiba disbelieved.

Bakura chuckled. "That's not all it did. It also added the attack power of my Headless Knight onto the attack power of my Legendary Fiend, powering it up to 3650, more than enough to counter your Blue Eyes White Dragon? And you're supposedly the World Champion?"

"Don't mock me. I'll set two cards face down and end my turn" spat Kaiba.

Bakura drew. "First, my Legendary Fiend gains 700 more attack points" he began as his monster glowed in purple light (2900/1800) "Now I shall switch my Headless Knight into attack position! Headless Knight, attack Kaiba's life points!" he commanded as his monster unleashed his sword, running up to Kaiba for an attack.

"Hold on, I'm activating a trap! Go, Attack Guidance Armor! This trap lets me redirect the target of my attack from me to your Legendary Fiend!" Kaiba explained as spiky red armor covered the Legendary Fiend's body. Headless Knight then made a U-turn, now aimed at Legendary Fiend. "But that's not all! I'll also use my Shrink magic card, cutting your Legendary Fiend down to 1450 attack points also!" he added as Bakura growled, his monster shrinking to half its original size. It unleashed two black beams to ward off the attack, but ultimately failed as Headless Knight vertically struck the fiend, both monsters being erased from the field.

Bakura growled. He had no idea of Kaiba pulling something this devastating to him. However, Kaiba's move had given him an opportunity he needed. "You may have played a brilliant strategy, but you have given me just the amount of monsters I need! Now I set one card face down before removing Legendary Fiend, Headless Knight, and Grand Tiki Elder from my graveyard to summon this!" he slapped a card onto his Duel Disk. The three spirits merged together to form a purple essence, springing around the field before morphing into the demon lady. Dark purple essence surrounded her. (2200/2800)

"Hmm." Wondered Kaiba, thinking what Bakura may be up to. He drew. "I'll set one card face down and summon X-Head Cannon (1800/1500) to the field in defense mode!" he announced as his machine cannon materialized on the field, shielding itself with its cannons.

Bakura drew and smiled. "I'm about to reduce your chances at victory Kaiba! I activate the magic card, Time Mischief!" he snickered.

"Oh no!" Yugi panicked on the sidelines.

"Hey Yugi, what does that card do?" Tristan asked.

"Well see, after Bakura pays 1000 life points, he calls out a name of a card in his deck and he can draw until he gets that card. But as soon as he draws it, all the other cards he picked up go into his graveyard. However, Kaiba has to discard the same amount of cards Bakura does. Depending on which card Bakura names, all of Kaiba's deck could be eliminated!" Yugi explained to his grief-stricken friends.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I really hope Kaiba wins this time. Who knows what that evil spirit will do to him if he loses." Joey stated.

"The card I choose is my Diabound Carnal!" Bakura announced, taking his deck out of the holster. (**B's LP: 3000**)After going through 8 cards, he snatched Diabound Carnal, while discarding the top 8 cards. Kaiba obeyed the rules of the cards, picking up 8 cards off the top of his deck and discarding them to the graveyard. Luckily for him, it was nothing too much worth missing.

"Next I'll have my Dark Necrofear attack your X-Head Cannon!" added Bakura as Dark Necrofear's eyes opened wide, and unleashed two red beams aiming across the arena.

"Hold on! I'm activating the magic card Enemy Controller first! As soon as I pay 1000 life points, your Dark Necrofear belongs to me for the remainder of the turn!" Kaiba gladly enlightened Bakura as a giant game controller materialized on the field. "Enemy Controller, activate! Left, Right, A, B!" he commanded as a giant cord whipped onto Dark Necrofear's head, dragging her to Kaiba's side of the field.

"Interesting" Bakura noticed. "I'll bet Kaiba knows the second effect of Dark Necrofear. He made a wise decision in controlling it and not destroying it."

"End your turn!" Kaiba demanded.

"Fine then, since I can't attack, I'll just end my turn" shrugged Bakura.

"I don't get it. Why wouldn't Kaiba have just destroyed Dark Necrofear and gotten it over with?" Anzu questioned on the sidelines.

"Well Anzu, when Dark Necrofear is destroyed, it automatically lets Bakura take control of one of Kaiba's monsters" Kevin enlightened his friend.

"Oh..." she responded.

"It's interesting how both Bakura and Kaiba are dueling. Neither of them is using their ultimate strength, but always seem to know just how to counter one another's moves. However, as soon as their ultimate two monsters are summoned to the field, then that will be a battle of power" our little "Mystery Duelist" pondered on the sidelines.

"Dark Necrofear returns to my field now!" pointed out Bakura, as his monster floated to her rightful side of the field. Kaiba drew.

"I'm activating the magic card known as Will of Demise! This allows me to draw cards equal to one-third of the level of the monsters of the field. Since my X-Head Cannon is a level 4 monster, and your Dark Necrofear is a level 8 monster, I draw 4 cards!" he explained, drawing the top 4 cards from his deck.

"Yes yes, I did pass math in school." Bakura annoyingly replied.

Kaiba smiled. "Just the right cards I needed." He thought. "First, I play this card Gateway Barrier, which will eliminate the effect of my Life-Shortening Treasure! Now neither of us has to discard from our hands! Then I'll use this magic card, Invisible Soldier, allowing me to summon my Y-Dragon Head (1500/1600)! Next I shall sacrifice my X-Head Cannon and Y- Dragon Head to summon the XY-Tank Cannon (2200/1900)" his two monsters magnetically combined to form a stronger beast.

"So what will you do Kaiba? If you attack, you know I'll just gain control of your XY- Dragon Cannon and use it to finish you off" Bakura thought to himself, wondering what his opponent's next play would be.

"Now what will you do Kaiba? Risk attacking my Dark Necrofear, allowing me to swipe one of your monsters? Or just let me take my next turn and ultimately defeat you??" wondered Bakura as Kaiba gritted his teeth.

"Actually, if everything works out, I won't need to worry about your Necrofear's effect, because I'm activating this card! Breath of Life allows me to pay any amount of life points, and I can draw cards depending on how many life points I pay! So I'm going to pay 1800 life points to draw 6 new cards from my deck!" (**K's LP: 1200**)

"Now I summon Kaiser Seahorse (1750/1600) to the field! XY-Dragon Cannon, attack Dark Necrofear!" commanded Kaiba as his monster unleashed two missiles along with a magnetic blast from the Y-Dragon Head, aimed directly at Dark Necrofear. She responded by sending two thin red beams from her eyes at the attacks. The missiles exploded on contact with the red beams, swallowing up Dark Necrofear and the XY-Dragon Cannon.

"Kaiser Seahorse, attack Bakura directly!" Kaiba added, not feeling symathy for his destroyed monster.

"Reveal trap! Ghost Shield! Now I can remove Dark Necrofear from the game to negate the attack!" Bakura responded as a pink barrier of energy warded off the Kaiser Seahorse's trident strike.

Kaiba growled. "I'll set one card on the field and end my turn."

"Man, Bakura's actually doing really well than Kaiba. He's got more than twice as many life points as Kaiba does and he stopped Kaiba's attack effortlessly" Tristan declared.

"Yeah, but also Bakura's out of monsters in his graveyard, so his Ghost Shield trap won't be saving him anymore" Kevin pointed out.

"I wonder why Bakura is toying with Kaiba so much. Kaiba's been playing well, but Bakura has not even been using a fraction of his true power. He already has Diabound Carnal in his hand, so is he hesitating to use it? Or is he trying to send Kaiba out in a fashionable way. Bakura better hurry and summon his album, because if Kaiba summons his spirit monster before Bakura can summon his, Bakura will be in a world of trouble" the Mystery Duelist thought, studying the two characters.

Bakura drew. "I'm activating the magic card Double Spell, and I'll discard my Fusion magic card to copy Life-Shortening Treasure! Now I'm able to draw 5 new cards, but thanks to your Gateway Barrier, I won't be forced to discard 5 turns later!" he slyly grinned, drawing his 5 cards.

He snickered. "Hurry up so that I can win!" Kaiba impatiently demanded.

"You will soon learn to regret those words, fool! Now I'll use a magic card known as Dark Magic Puppeteer, allowing me to special summon a fiend monster from my deck! Rise up, my Portrait's Secret (1200/1500)!" he announced as a painting with a demon's head emerging from it materialized on the field.

"Next I'll sacrifice my Portrait's Secret to summon the almighty Diabound Carnal (1800/1200)!" he declared as his monster was absorbed into a dark portal, and from it emerged grey lightning, merging together to form a half-human, half-snake demon.

"What is that!?!?" Anzu moaned on the sidelines.

"I'm not sure, but my Millennium Puzzle is telling me it's not something we want to be facing." Yugi replied, his Millennium Puzzle glowing slightly, the Eye of Horus appearing on his forehead. Bakura's Millennium Ring glowed in response. He turned to face Yugi.

"Take a nice glimpse Yugi, for you will be facing this monster soon enough, and I guarantee you, your Black Magician will fall before it" Bakura mentally warned Yugi, who's attitude changed dramatically, as he and Bakura stared at each other for a long period of time, until Kaiba broke the silence.

"Ahem" he coughed, catching Bakura's attention.

"Oh how rude of me. You actually have Yugi to thank for that" Bakura told Kaiba, who snared in Yugi's direction. "Diabound Carnal, attack his Kaiser Seahorse!" The demon monster charged up a yellow fireball and hurled it at the mighty seahorse, until Kaiba intervened.

"Activate trap! Interdimensional Matter Transporter will automatically teleport my Kaiser Seahorse to a new dimension, protecting it and me from your attack!" Kaiba enlightened an unphased Bakura as a yellow sphere encased the Kaiser Seahorse, pulling it inside the machine, which then vanished from sight. The yellow fireball missed its mark, flying into the sky before disintegrating.

"Very well, I'll end my turn by setting three cards face down and activating a magic card known as Pit of Darkness! This allows me to send 5 monsters of the same type to my graveyard, and I'll choose to send 5 fiends" Bakura explained, as he selected 5 five monsters, discarding them to the graveyard. "In exchange, I gain 800 life points for each monster I discard, bringing me up to 7000!" he laughed as his life points skyrocketed. (**B's LP: 7000**)

Kaiba drew. "Kaiser Seahorse, return to the field!" he declared as his monster materialized on the field, returning from the different dimension. "Next, I will sacrifice my Kaiser Seahorse to summon the second of my all-powerful monsters, the Blue Eyes White Dragon (3000/2500)!" Kaiba declared as his seahorse disappeared vertically to be replaced by the second of Kaiba's great beasts. It roared just as powerful as the first.

"Impressive, now a real battle will begin" Bakura cleverly smirked.

"But before I attack, I increase the power of my Blue Eyes White Dragon by 300 points because I activate Dragon Treasure!" Kaiba shouted as his dragon glowed in purple light and grew slightly larger.

"That's it, now attack me!" thought Bakura, waiting for Kaiba to make a big mistake.

"What do you guys think, will Kaiba attack or give Bakura another turn to strike back?" Kevin wondered on the sidelines.

"If I were Kaiba, I'd attack and see what Bakura was hiding and devise a strategy to get around it. Underestimating a duelist like Bakura especially when he has Diabound Carnal on the field can be an extremely costly mistake. And remember, this duel holds far higher stakes than any normal game" Yugi suggested his idea.

"Blue Eyes White Dragon, attack his Diabound Carnal!" Kaiba demanded as his monster unleashed a stream of white lightning smashing through the demon monster. (**B's LP: 5500**)

Bakura coughed as the smoke destroying his monster was catastrophic. "I knew you wouldn't resist attacking my Diabound Carnal, and I'm about to make that the last mistake you'll ever have a chance to make! Reveal trap, Revival Ouiju! This card instantly special summons my Diabound Carnal back to the field ready to attack!" Bakura laughed as a stone tablet carved with the Raise Dead symbol appeared on the field. The tablet burst apart revealing Bakura's monster, angry at his previous destruction.

"So, my Blue Eyes White Dragon will smash through it again next turn!" threatened Kaiba.

"Not when I use the second of my three face down cards! Mirror Wall Ouiju will allow my Diabound Carnal to absorb half the attack points of any monster in the graveyard, and I choose to let it gain 1500 attack points, because I will use the first Blue Eyes White Dragon I destroyed in the first few turns of our duel!" snickered Bakura as the dragon was reborn from the graveyard, trapped inside a mirror tablet and destroying along with the tablet.

"Bakura had this all planned out. He wanted Kaiba to attack him so he could power up his Diabound Carnal, and Kaiba fell for it, but I must admit I'd do the same thing in his position. I wouldn't risk giving that thief another turn to build up a defense" the Mystery Duelist pondered.

Kaiba gritted his teeth. "Not only has he revived his Diabound Carnal, but he managed to power it up just as high as my Blue Eyes White Dragon."

"I end my turn!" spat Kaiba.

Bakura drew. "Diabound Carnal, attack his Blue Eyes White Dragon now!" he instructed. His Ka monster obeyed his command by firing a powerful yellow fireball at the Blue Eyes White Dragon. The dragon responded by opening its jaw, releasing a stream of white lightning. The two attacks met and clashed with terrible force, sending waves of smoke towards both players. After the smoke died down, neither monster was on the field, but both players' life points were still intact.

"Don't think you've seen the last of my Diabound Carnal. Yes Kaiba, he's going to return to the field, because I'm using this card! Chaos Revival! Not only does it revive my Diabound Carnal, but it revives it with the same amount of attack points it had before it was destroyed, setting my monster still at 3300 attack points!" he evilly chuckled.

Kaiba growled.

"Bakura's really playing an excellent strategy. Looking out for his Diabound Carnal, cutting through 2 of Kaiba's Blue Eyes extremely easily, and having almost 5 times as many life points as Kaiba does. I hate to say this, but Kaiba may actually lose this time." Yugi proclaimed.

"Finally to end my move, I'll play this magic card, Illegal Activity! During your next turn, you can't set a trap card without paying a fine. The fine is 2000 life points, and seeing as how you only have 1200, you won't be doing anything to stop my Diabound Carnal's onslaught! Face it, I never lost control of this match and now I'm going to finish this! Make your last move!" commanded Bakura.

Kaiba drew and growled. "Damn, not a monster!" he thought. "I'll set one card face down and end my turn" he sighed.

Bakura drew. "Hmm. This may prove useful later, if I can draw one more card to complete the strategy" he pondered, but was ready to call the ending attack.

"As much as it pains me to say this, I really don't want Kaiba to lose. Sure he may be a stuck up punk, but no one deserves to lose to Bakura." Joey stated.

"Diabound Carnal, attack and destroy Kaiba! There's no way you'll win! Face it Kaiba, prepare to enter the shadows forever!" Bakura chortled as his faithful monster charged up his fireball, aiming it directly at Kaiba.

**CARDS PLAYED**

Grand Tiki Elder: Level 4/ 1500/800/ Fiend Type

Mystic Horseman: Level 3/ 1300/1550/ Beast-Warrior Type

Legendary Fiend: Level 6/ 1500/1800/ Fiend Type/Desc: This monster gains 700 attack points during each of your standby phases.

Pyro Clock of Destiny: TRAP/Desc: Move the turn count forward by 1 turn. The turn in which this card is activated continuous as normal.

Trap Lv. 4: TRAP/Desc: By activating this card when a monster is sent to the graveyard as a result of battle, both players may special summon one level 4 monster from their deck to the field.

Headless Knight: Level 4/ 1450/1700/ Fiend Type

Blade Knight: Level 4/ 1600/1100/ Warrior Type/Desc: If you have 1 or fewer cards in your hand, increase this Monster's ATK strength by 400 points. If this is the only Monster on your side of the Field, negate the Flip-Effect Monsters that this Monster destroys in Battle.

Life-Shortening Treasure: MAGIC/Desc: Draw 5 cards from your deck. Five turns after activating this card, discard your hand (during any phase.)

Cost Down: MAGIC/Desc: Discard 1 card from your hand. Decrease the level of all monsters in your hand by 2 until the End Phase in which this card is activated.

Blue Eyes White Dragon: Level 8/ 3000/2500/ Dragon Type

Cover Fire: TRAP/Desc: During your opponent's battle phase, when your opponent attacks, increase the attack of one of your monsters equal to the attack of another monster on your side of the field.

Attack Guidance Armor: TRAP/Desc: When your opponent attacks, you may change the target of the attack to another monster of your choice.

Shrink: QUICK-PLAY MAGIC/Desc: Select a monster. Until the End Phase of which this card is activated, the attack of the monster selected is cut in half.

Dark Necrofear: Level 8/ 2200/2800/ Fiend Type/Desc: This card can only be Special Summoned by removing 3 Fiend-Type monsters in your Graveyard from play. When this card is destroyed in battle or by your opponent's card effect, it is treated as an Equip Magic Card at the end of the turn. Equip 1 of your opponent's monsters with this card. As long as it is equipped with this card, you control the equipped monster.

X-Head Cannon: Level 4/ 1800/1500/ Machine Type

Time Mischief: MAGIC/Desc: Pay 1000 life points. Declare the name of one monster in your deck. Pick up (not draw) cards until the selected monster is found. Add that card to your hand. Discard all other cards to the graveyard. Your opponent discards the same number of cards you discarded off the top of their deck.

Enemy Controller: QUICK-PLAY MAGIC/Desc: Pay 1000 life points. Enter one of the following commands: Left, Right, A, B (Take control of one of your opponent's monsters until the End Phase of the turn in which this card is activated), or Up, Left, Down, Right, A (Destroy one monster on your opponent's side of the field.)

Will of Demise: MAGIC/Desc: You may draw cards from your deck equal to one-third of the level of all face-up monsters on the field.

Gateway Barrier: CONTINIOUS MAGIC/Desc: Effects of cards that force you to discard cards may be negated.

Invisible Soldier: QUICK-PLAY MAGIC/Desc: Special summon one level 4 or lower monster from your hand to the field.

Y-Dragon Head: Level 4/ 1500/1600/ Machine/Desc: Once per turn, during your Main Phase, if you control this monster on the field, you can equip it to your "X-Head Cannon" as an Equip Spell Card OR change it back to a monster in face-up Attack Position. When equipped on a monster by this card's effect, that monster's ATK/DEF is increased by 400 points. (1 monster can only be equipped with 1 Union Monster at a time. If the monster that the card is equipped to is destroyed in battle, this card is destroyed instead.)

XY-Dragon Cannon: Level 6/ 2200/1900/ Machine Type/Desc: X-Head Cannon" "Y-Dragon Head" This monster can only be Special Summoned by removing from play the above monsters on your side of the field. You do not use "Polymerization" to Special Summon this monster from your Fusion Deck. Discard 1 card from your hand to destroy 1 face-up Spell Card or Trap card on your opponent's side of the Field.

Breath of Life: MAGIC/Desc: Pay 300 life points to draw one card from your deck (max. 6)

Kaiser Seahorse: Level 4/ 1700/1650/ Sea Serpent Type/Desc: If you Tribute Summon a LIGHT monster, you can treat this one monster as two tribute monster for the tribute summon.

Ghost Shield: TRAP/Desc: Remove from play one fiend type monster from your graveyard. Negate the attack of one of your opponent's monsters.

Double Spell: MAGIC/Desc: Discard one magic card from your hand. Select one magic card from your opponent's graveyard and activate it as your spell card.

Dark Magic Puppeteer: MAGIC/Desc: Special summon one fiend monster from your deck.

Portrait's Secret: Level 4/ 1200/1500/ Fiend Type

Diabound Carnal: Level 5/ 1800/1200/ Demon Type/ Desc: Effect unknown.

Interdimensional Matter Transporter: TRAP/Desc: Select 1 face-up monster on your side of the field and remove it from play until the End Phase of the turn this card is activated.

Pit of Darkness: MAGIC/Desc: Discard 5 monster cards of the same TYPE to the graveyard. Gain 4000 life points.

Dragon Treasure: MAGIC/Desc: A dragon-type monster equipped with this card gains 300 attack and defense points.

Revival Ouiju: TRAP/Desc: You may activate this card when a monster is sent to the graveyard. Special summon one monster from your graveyard in face-up attack position.

Mirror Wall Ouiju: TRAP/Desc: Until your next standby phase, increase the attack of one of your monsters by half of the attack of a monster in the graveyard.

Illegal Activity: MAGIC/Desc: During your opponent's next turn, he or she may not set a trap card without paying 2000 life points per trap.


	35. Bakura v Kaiba, Part 2: The Calling of D...

**Disclaimer:** See Chapter 34 for details

**Chapter 35: Bakura v. Kaiba, Part 2: The Calling of Death**

"Diabound Carnal, attack!" commanded Bakura. His monster did nothing to respond. "What the hell? I command you to attack Kaiba's life points NOW!" he shouted, more angrily. "This must be some of your work Kaiba!" his attention turned towards his opponent, whose face down card was activated. A totem pole with two loudspeakers on the end materialized on the field, emitting sound waves blocking out Diabound Carnal's hearing temporarily.

"Yes, this was my doing! I activated my face down magic card, Command Silencer, sending out sonic waves canceling out Diabound Carnal's hearing temporarily, and not allowing him to hear your command! He can't do anything for you this turn" smirked Kaiba, as he drew another card. "Also, the second effect of my cards allows me to draw one card."

Bakura hurried along. "Fine, I'll set one card face down and summon Necro Mannequin (500/500) in defense mode" his monster appeared on the field. It was white and had several limbs and its head rearranged on different parts of the body, holding itself up with its hands. It moaned an eerie, deathlike moan.

"What's up with that monster Yugi?" Joey asked his friend on the sidelines.

"I'm not sure, but if it only has 500 attack points and Bakura keeps it in his deck, it must have some special ability that Kaiba may find out a little too much more than he wants to. But knowing Kaiba's knowledge of cards, he probably knows a possible way to counter it" Yugi responded.

Kaiba drew. "First, I'm activating Card of Sanctity, requiring both of us to draw until we hold 6 cards!" Kaiba explained as he drew 4 cards from his deck, while Bakura drew 3. Bakura flashed an evil grin, noticing which cards he was lucky enough to draw. "Now I'll use this card to resummon my Blue Eyes White Dragon, and destroy your Diabound Carnal!"

"You lie!" Bakura retorted, wondering what Kaiba could be planning.

"I think not! I activate Jaws of Life! This card will instantly special summon my Blue Eyes White Dragon (3000/2500) back on the field, but will increase its attack power by 1000 points this turn! (4000/2500)!" Everyone gasped at the sudden turn of events. In a flurry, Kaiba's prized dragon re-materialized on the field. It grew in light-blue energy and grew 1/3 larger, its attack points also increasing.

"Blue Eyes White Dragon, attack Diabound Carnal with your White Lightning attack!" commanded Kaiba as his dragon's jaw opened, creating static and then a stream of white lightning that aimed at the demonic monster, smashing through it easily. (**B's LP: 4800**)

"I'll activate my trap card! Necri Cycle will instantly allow me to special summon a Necro Mannequin from my deck to the field in defense position" Bakura pointed at a vacant space, instantly filled with another dysfunctional white monster, moaning grimly.

"Hmm. I wonder what else Bakura has planned with those monsters" Kevin wondered.

"Even I'm not sure what Bakura's planning. Those monsters have no effects, and they barely have any attack or defense points. He's got something bigger planned for Kaiba, and he's leading Kaiba along like a dog following a string" Miranda (the Mystery Duelist) pointed out, the first time anyone heard her say anything. The gang decided to focus on the duel at hand, then make friends with her.

"Whatever. I'm setting a card face down on the field and ending my turn" Kaiba announced.

Bakura drew. "It doesn't matter to me because I'm summoning Necro Soldier (0/0) in defense mode! Then, I'm using this magic card, Heavy Storm to wipe out all magic and trap cards on the field!" he added, as his gust shattered each and every magic or trap card on the field.

"Next, I'll set two cards face down and end my turn" he slyly added as the gang looked on cautiously.

"Hmm. Why would Bakura destroy every magic and trap card on the field, and then set a card face down? There's no sense in him clearing the field" Joey wondered.

"Wait. There's only one card of Bakura's I know that he would use that combo on" Yugi revealed.

In the meantime, Kaiba drew. "Hold on!" Bakura cut off Kaiba. "I'm using my trap card, Ouija Board!" sprung his trap. A black board materialized on the field, revealing every Arabic letter and number. A ghostly, demonic, pale blue hand held a highlighter at the top of the board. The demonic hand raced across the board, highlighting the letter "D". A ghostly writing of the letter "D" appeared in a pale blue spiritual background. Bakura smirked evilly, while Kaiba didn't make any sign of emotion.

"You should be quite aware of the devastating effect my Ouija Board holds! In just four short turns, it will spell out the death message, and you will automatically lose the game and your very soul!" chuckled Bakura, as Kaiba seemed unfazed about the proclamation.

"It's just as I thought" Yugi told himself mentally.

"Hmm. I wonder if Kaiba can spin out a strategy to defeat the Ouija Board" Kevin wondered.

"Then I'll activate the effect of my new Necro Soldier! It allows me to special summon another Necro Soldier!" He declared as his first soldier moved to another monster space, as Kaiba noticed a clone was coming out of its shadow, now there being 4 monsters on Bakura's side of the field. "But I'll use the effect of my new monster and summon another one!" he laughed as his monster reproduced again, now filling up Bakura's field with monsters. "Finally, I'll use my trap, Life Collapse! This card lets me summon my second death message automatically, placing me one turn ahead of your monster!" Bakura explained as the highlighter raced to "E" and an eerie version of the letter appeared on the field.

"I'll go on with my move now! I'll set one card face down and then I'll summon Vorse Raider (1900/1200) in attack mode! Blue Eyes White Dragon (3000/2500), attack one of his Necro Mannequin's!" commanded Kaiba as his faithful monster unleashed a stream of white lightning, completely impaling the mannequin, who was easily overcome by the blast.

"Next, I'll send my Vorse Raider to attack your second Necro Mannequin!" Kaiba's monster sent its axe spiraling at the mannequin, slicing it diagonally, before the axe make a u turn in mid-air, returning to the beast-warrior's hand.

"I'll end my turn now" Kaiba declared, as the highlighter whizzed to the letter "A" and the letter appeared in a fancy style with a pale blue, eerie background.

"That's the third letter, just two more and you're dead!" evilly pointed out Bakura, while he drew. "I'll bet Kaiba's set card is a trap. He thinks I'll go after his Blue Eyes White Dragon again, but I know better than that. I'll just have to find some way to bind my time until my Ouija Board completes itself. But if that task fails, I've got two cards in my hand that will easily win me the duel" he fingered two cards in his hand.

"Look at that smirk on Bakura's face. He's got to be up to something" Kevin noticed.

"You're definitely right. Bakura knows Kaiba has some kind of strategy he's going to use to erase his Ouija Board, and I bet Bakura wants him to do it. But that's also a tough spot for Kaiba. If he does destroy Ouija Board, he'll set himself up for Bakura's trap. On the other side, if he lets the Ouija Board stay on the field, he'll automatically lose in just 2 turns!" Yugi replied to his companion.

"I'll use this magic card, the Dark Designator!" Bakura shouted as his magic card's effect triggered.

"What does that card do?" Anzu wondered.

"Well, you see Anzu, this card lets Bakura name any monster in the entire game of Duel Monsters, and if that card's in Kaiba's deck, then it lets Kaiba add that card to his hand, but why would Bakura be helping out Kaiba, unless....he plans to web Kaiba deeper and deeper into his true trap!" a shocked Yugi responded.

"Well, hurry up and name a card!" Kaiba impatiently demanded.

"Very well, I'll name a card I know you keep in your deck! I choose the Lord of Dragons!" Bakura announced as the green magic card transformed into a green essence, and struck Kaiba's deck. The Lord of Dragons card ejected itself from Kaiba's deck, which Kaiba picked up, adding it to his hand. "That will complete my turn" Bakura glanced at his Ouija Board.

Kaiba snatched the top card off his deck. "Now to protect my Blue Eyes White Dragon from your magic and trap cards is my Lord of Dragons (1200/1100) in attack mode!" he announced as his monster, a wizard with gleaming yellow eyes protected well by rows of bones materialized on the field.

"Just as I knew that fool would" Bakura chuckled to himself.

"As you are probably well aware, my Lord of Dragons will protect my Blue Eyes White Dragon and any other dragons on the field from the effects of your monster, magic, and trap cards!" Kaiba added.

"Lord of Dragons protects Kaiba's monsters, so there has to be a reason Bakura let Kaiba use that" Kevin proclaimed to his comrades.

"Now Blue Eyes White Dragon, attack his Necro Soldier!" commanded Kaiba as his dragon unleashed a stream of white lightning smashed into the soldier, eliminating him from the field. "Vorse Raider, attack!" he added as his beast-warrior shot his axe-boomerang slicing the second of the Necro Soldiers, destroying him effortlessly. "Finally, I send Lord of Dragons to attack!" The wizard unleashed flaming blue energy that took on the shape of the dragon, colliding with the Necro Soldier and smoldering it into ash which blew away from the field. "Now you have no defense! Next turn I win this duel!"

Bakura disagreed. "I can assure you I will be the one to walk away from here victorious! First, the devastating powers of my Ouija Board activate! Death Message T is here!" he smiled as his highlighter was placed over "T" and the letter appeared above the board. "One more turn Kaiba! However, I still must go through this turn, so now I'll set this one card face down and end my turn"

Kaiba drew. "Reveal trap! Thunder of Ruler, activate!" sprung Bakura as small lightning bolts reigned down from the sky, paralyzing Kaiba's monsters. He emitted a small growl.

"Oh well. I'll activate Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw 2 cards from my deck!" Kaiba explained, snatching the top 2 cards from his deck. "Then, I'll use this magic card, Tribute Doll, to sacrifice my Lord of Dragons to!" he explained as his monster was magically dragged inside a musty, brown coffin. The coffin then sealed shut and exploded, but from the smoke following the explosion, a diamond-covered white dragon roared. Its forehead was protected by two golden horns and a stripe down its body was golden. It roared. "Meet my Hyozanryu (2100/2800), who will destroy your Ouija Board before it completes its deadly message!" Kaiba threatened.

"I beg to differ. Your monster can't attack me, nor does it possess any special effects. What destruction, besides your own, do you speak of" wondered Bakura.

"I'm talking about me activating this magic card! It's known as A Wingbeat of Giant Dragon! As soon as I return my Hyozanryu to my hand, this card will automatically destroy every magic and trap card on the field!" he explained as his dragon's essence flew into the card, and Kaiba snatched it off the plate, setting off a chain reaction. A giant gust of wind emerged from the magic card, blasting away all of Bakura's Death Messages. However, instead of feeling gloomy, he was smiling.

"Apparently, Bakura wanted Kaiba to destroy his Death Messages. He must have been using them to stall until he could reveal his ultimate strategy" Miranda told the gang.

"Yes, that sounds like a tactic of Bakura's" Yugi added to the comment.

"That just leaves one question" Joey continued the conversation.

"What's that?" Kevin asked.

"What's Bakura's true strategy?" Joey replied.

"Thank you Kaiba! You've allowed me to refill my magic and trap slots and I promise you, I will utilize that opportunity. I only used the Ouija Board to buy time until I could reveal my true intentions for this duel, and now I can do that thanks to a magic card I drew during the turns my Ouija Board inhabited the field! It's my move, so now I'll draw" which he did.

"Whatever he comes up with, I'll have to counter it. It'll be the only way I can re-challenge Yugi and gain the respect I deserve as being crowned the number-one duelist in the entire world! Ever since the day he last defeated me at Battle City, I've strived long and hard to become the top player again"

---- FLASHBACK--------

"Next, I'll use my Diffusion Wave-Motion card!" Yugi declared.

"What's that?!!" a nervous Kaiba asked.

"As soon as I pay 1000 of my life points, it allows my Dark Paladin to attack each and every card on the field! You lose Kaiba! Dark Paladin, attack!" commanded Yugi as his faithful magician raised his staff in the air, the tip of it becoming encased in blue energy. The energy then expanded into rings, beheading all 3 of Kaiba's beloved Blue Eyes White Dragons. He watched his life points lower to 0 in disbelief.

"It's impossible! I had the perfect strategy!" Kaiba complained.

"I'm afraid my Dark Paladin would disagree, because thanks to his attack, you've lost! Kaiba you will never win with anger and hatred in your heart!" Yugi told his enemy-ally.

"Save it Yugi. I don't rely on friends to win. I've learned that I truly need to depend on myself, but since there's no one else I depend upon, there's also no one else I have to blame. As for the rules, take my rarest card!" and with that, Kaiba swiftly threw Yugi his Obelisk card, knowing that his journey in Battle City had finally ended.

----- END FLASHBACK---

"Yugi stole my title from me that day, so I must strive to win it back! But to do that, I must stop remembering the past and concentrating on the present. It's still his move, and none of the cards in my hand are extremely helpful, now there's only one place in the entire world I can rely on: my deck" Kaiba closed his eyes briefly.

"Are you ready, because it's time to choose! I'm activating a permanent magic card called Cursed Necros Twins!" Bakura proclaimed as two demonic dolls, one in a red dress, and one in a blue dress materialized on the field. The one in the red dress held a black box with yellow ribbon tied in a bow on top, while the one in the blue dress held a red box with yellow ribbon tied in a bow on top. Kaiba wondered what this trick was.

"Guys, what do you think is in those boxes?" Tristan questioned his friends.

"I'm not sure, and I think we'll soon find out" Kevin replied.

"I just hope Kaiba knows what that card does, or he could have big problems." Anzu commented.

"This magic card lets each of us choose a box. However, I'll be kind, which I'm normally not, and let you choose" Bakura teased, as Kaiba's eyes shifted from box to box.

"What could possibly be in those boxes?? One red and one black... I'd better go with the red one, because black usually symbolizes something bad to happen" contemplated Kaiba. "I choose the red box!" he announced, pointing at his choice.

"Wise decision! Choosing the red box allows you to gain 200 life points for every card that is sent to the graveyard from this point forward!" Bakura congratulated his opponent for his decision.

"Well, you said both of us must choose a box! I demand that you reveal the contents of the black box!" Kaiba impatiently demanded.

"As you wish! The black box will return every card in my graveyard to the field!" He explained as his graveyard slot emitted an eerie green glow as all the cards in Bakura's graveyard appeared behind and above him, this time as small green flames.

Kaiba growled. Bakura took notice of this.

"Don't worry. No card in the entire game will affect my monsters, and now I'm about to expand the abilities of my black box! I summon Death Caliber Knight (1900/1800) to the field in attack mode! Then, I'll use another magic card, this one known as Graveyard Pulse! Since I have no monster cards in my graveyard, you cannot attack me!" Bakura smiled and chuckled.

"So he wanted Kaiba to choose the red box, and now Kaiba won't be able to attack!" Yugi realized.

"Very perceptive, Yugi" Bakura added. (It's not like the duelists can't hear anyone but their opponents...)

"Now I'll set one card face down and use the magic card Fountain of Black Magic! This card increases the attack of all my Dark Monsters by 300 points every turn! So now my Death Caliber Knight gains 300 attack points! Go, Death Caliber Knight (2200/1800), attack Vorse Raider!" commanded Bakura as his monster unleashed a black energy sword and created a black and purple demonic energy wave, smashing into the beast-warrior, melting it. (**K's LP: 450**) (A/N: Special thanks to "Red-Eyes Black Serpent Dragon" for the correction in life point counts.)

"Augh. He set me up in a trap. My Blue Eyes White Dragon won't be able to attack, and in just 3 turns, his monster will be more powerful than mine! There has to be a way I can break out of his trap!" Kaiba thought.

"Wow. Bakura really has Kaiba on the ropes!" pointed out Joey. "I've never seen the rich boy sweat so much"

Kaiba drew. "I summon Spirit Ryu (1000/1000) in defense mode and end my turn!" he declared as his blue dragon appeared on the field.

Bakura drew. "I'm activating the magic of Insurance! As soon as I pay 1000 life points, (**B's LP: 3800**) I can draw 4 cards" he drew, making his hand now hold 7 cards. "Heh heh. Just what I need to defeat you, Kaiba! Activate the field card, Magical Reproduction, allowing me to play up to 10 magic and trap cards, at the price of paying 2000 life points when I play it! (**B's LP: 1800**), such a small price to pay for a giant effect.

"Just get on with your turn!" Kaiba shot back.

"Gladly, because now I'll activate a card that will slice your deck each turn! Go, Killing the Counterbalance! This card will force both of us to discard cards from our decks equal to the number of monsters on the field, if the player has cards in his graveyard!" Bakura explained as Kaiba realized this was another piece of Bakura's plan.

"Now I'll be forced to discard cards while he doesn't discard any. Plus, since his ghost monsters are counted as monsters, I'll be discarding several cards at a time! My deck has less than 25 cards left, so in a few turns if I can't find a way to rid the field of his spells, I'll lose!" Kaiba disbelieved in horror.

"Man guys, this duel is really tough on Kaiba. Bakura's always had the upper hand ever since his very first turn" Kevin told.

"You're right Kevin, Kaiba's really got himself a challenge against Bakura, and now that Kaiba will be forced to discard during each and every one of his turns, he'll lose the duel much faster" Yugi persisted.

"Now I'll activate Time Travel, speeding up the clock by 3 turns, and letting my Death Caliber Knight gain 900 attack points!" Bakura declared as his monster drank from the Fountain of Black Magic, enhancing its strength. (**3100/1800**) "But luckily for you, I'm forced to skip my battle phase this turn, so I'll end my turn!" he explained as Kaiba's eyes shifted from his opponent's face to his one face-down card.

"The card must be a trap, and as soon as I make an attack he'll activate it. I just hope it won't be something that can really damage me. In case it does though, my Gift of the Mystical Elf trap card should seriously boost my life points, so I remain in the game a little longer" Kaiba planned while he drew his newest card.

"I'll set two cards face down on the field and switch my Blue Eyes White Dragon into defense mode!" he explained as his dragon folded its wings into a defensive stance, ready to attempt to block an attack thrown its way.

"Don't think your turn is over yet!" quickly cut Bakura.

"Yes, I know" Kaiba sighed, pulling his deck out of his deck holster. He flipped through it, pondering over which cards he should discard.

"You're now forced to immediately discard 9 cards from your deck, leaving you with just 15!" Bakura smiled as his opponent's deck was cut by 9 cards, as Kaiba decided on which 9 would be discarding this turn, shoving them into his graveyard slot. "However, luckily for you, you get to gain 1800 life points due to the effect of the red box" he waved in the direction of the red box, which briefly glowed as Kaiba's life points raised. (**K's LP: 2250**)

"Oh yeah, I guess there is one upside to all that discarding" Kaiba remembered.

Bakura drew. "Remember! My Death Caliber Knight gains 300 attack points. (**3400/1800**) Next, I'll use this magic card, Defending Seal of Dead Spirits! This card forces one of your monsters into attack mode!" he happily enlightened Kaiba.

"No! My final Blue Eyes White Dragon will be destroyed!" Kaiba angrily recognized.

"I won't be changing your Blue Eyes White Dragon! I'll use my magic card to switch Spirit Ryu into attack mode! Now go Death Caliber Knight, attack and destroy his Spirit Ryu! Kill Kaiba!" commanded Bakura as his knight unleashed his black and purple energy blast, ready to blow up his dragon and eliminate the last of his life points. However, before the attack hit, Kaiba had two cards to activate.

"First, I'm activating the powers of my Gift of the Mystical Elf, to refresh my life points by 2700, 300 for each monster on the field!" explained Kaiba as his life points skyrocketed up past the starting amount. (**K's LP: 4950**)

"That still won't stop my attack!" Bakura claimed.

"My first card may not, but this one will! Shadow Spell, activate!" Kaiba called as chains wrapped around the demonic knight, canceling out his attack and tightly squeezing him until he was unable to move.

"No! You've stopped my attack and reduced my monster's attack power by 700! (**2700/1800**)" Bakura knew the effects of the Shadow Spell card.

"Augh! I'll end my turn!"

Kaiba drew. "I'll set one card face down and then activate Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your Graveyard Pulse trap!" A typhoon reigned from the sky, sucking up the magic card and ridding the game of its effect. "Next, I'll switch Blue Eyes White Dragon into attack mode! Blue Eyes White Dragon, attack his Death Caliber Knight!" commanded Kaiba as his faithful monster unleashed its white lightning attack, smashing through the chains and eliminating the Death Caliber Knight. However, the monster's soul transformed into a green flame and joined the other flames behind Bakura.

"Have your fun while you can Kaiba, because now it's my turn and I can guarantee you, your fun won't last!" Bakura threatened.

"Heh. Is that so? Well my move isn't over yet! I reveal my face down card, Sky Assault, which lets me pay 1000 life points (**K's LP: 3950**) to let my Blue Eyes White Dragon attack again! Go, Blue Eyes White Dragon, attack Bakura's life points directly and end the duel!" demanded Kaiba as his monster's jaw opened and it created another blast of white lightning, this time aimed at Bakura.

"Reverse trap card, Dead Dragon Zoma! This is the final card that will be used in the duel!" Bakura smiled as his dragon made of pure air that had a red jewel on its head appeared on the field, effortlessly absorbing the white lightning assault.

"What does that card do??! There's no way it could have stopped an attack as powerful as my Blue Eyes White Dragon's White Lightning Attack!" Kaiba retorted.

"It just did, but I'm afraid it gets far worse! Now my Dead Dragon Zoma will gain be able to attack your life points directly!" Bakura explained.

"And do what?! It has no attack points!" Kaiba responded.

"It does now! It gains twice the attack points of the monster you used to attack it, namely your Blue Eyes! Do the math Kaiba!" Bakura chuckled.

"It has...6000 attack points" Kaiba calculated.

"That's right! Dead Dragon Zoma (**6000/**0), attack Kaiba's life points directly and end the match!" he explained as the dead dragon bypassed Kaiba's Blue Eyes White Dragon, heading straight for the duelist himself. However, to Bakura's surprise, his dead dragon smashed into a ring of white shields, and dispersed into the air.

Bakura gasped. "What the hell is going on?!!? Your life points should be at 0!"

"I beg to differ. I've been saved thanks to my Ring of Defense card! It protects me from all life point damage from magic or trap cards this turn!" Kaiba rejoice fully explained, his life points still intact at 3950.

"I'll end my turn now" smiled Kaiba for once in the duel.

Bakura drew. "Now it's time for me to seriously begin dueling! Prepare to plunge into eternal darkness and despair! Meet the return of my strongest monster, Diabound Carnal! The resurrection is now and your defeat will follow! There's no way to stop my Diabound Carnal! Give up Kaiba!" evilly chuckled Bakura, raising one card in his hand high into the air.

**CARDS PLAYED**

**Command Silencer**: QUICK-PLAY MAGIC/Desc: Negate the attack of one of your opponent's monsters. Draw 1 card from your deck.

**Necro Mannequin:** Level 4/ 500/500/ Fiend Type

**Card of Sanctity:** MAGIC/Desc: Both players draw from their respective decks until they both hold 6 cards in their respective hands.

**Jaws of Life:** MAGIC/Desc: Special summon one monster from your graveyard and increase its attack points by 1000 until the End Phase of which this card is activated.

**Necri Cycle:** TRAP/Desc: Activating this card when a "Necro Mannequin" is face-up on the field allows you to special summon another "Necro Mannequin" from your deck, hand, or graveyard to the field.

**Necro Soldier:** Level 4/ 0/0/ Fiend Type/Desc: If this face-up card exists on your side of the field during your opponent's standby phase, you may special summon another "Necro Soldier" from your hand or deck to the field.

**Heavy Storm:** MAGIC/Desc: Destroy all magic and trap cards on the field.

**Ouija Board:** CONTINIOUS MAGIC/Desc: At the end of each of your opponent's turns, place 1 Death Message card from your hand or your Deck face-up to the field. If it is from your Deck, then shuffle your Deck. If Spirit Message cards E, A, T, and H are all on the field in their proper order, you are declared the winner. If any of the cards are destroyed or removed from the field while constructing the message, they are all sent to your Graveyard immediately.

**Life Collapse:** TRAP/Desc: This card may only be activated when "Ouija Board is face-up." Sacrifice this face-up card to place one "Death Message" from your deck or your hand to the field. If the "Death Message" is from your deck, shuffle your deck. The "Death Message" must be the next message in the sequence.

**Death Message E:** CONTINIOUS MAGIC/Desc: This card may only be placed on the field while "Ouija Board" is active.

**Vorse Raider:** Level 4/ 1900/1200/ Beast-Warrior

**Dark Designator:** MAGIC/Desc: Declare 1 monster card name. If the declared card is in your opponent's deck, the declared card is placed into your opponent's hand.

**Death Message A:** CONTINIOUS MAGIC/Desc: This card may only be placed on the field while "Ouija Board" is active.

**Lord of Dragons:** Level 4/ 1200/1100/ Spellcaster Type/Desc: All Dragon-Type monsters cannot be targeted by Magic Cards, Trap Cards, or other effects that specifically designate a target while this card is face-up on the field.

**Death Message T:** CONTINIOUS MAGIC/Desc: This card may only be placed on the field while "Ouija Board" is active.

**Thunder of Ruler:** TRAP/Desc: This card may only be activated during your opponent's standby phase. Your opponent cannot conduct a battle phase this turn.

**Pot of Greed:** MAGIC/Desc: Draw two cards from your deck.

**Tribute Doll:** MAGIC/Desc: Activate this card by offering a monster on your side of the field as a Tribute. Special Summon 1 Level 7 from your hand. That monster cannot attack this turn.

**Hyozanryu:** Level 7/ 2100/2800/ Dragon Type

**A Wingbeat of Giant Dragon:** MAGIC/Desc: Return one dragon monster on your side of the field to its owner's hand to destroy all magic and trap cards on the field.

**Cursed Necros Twins:** CONTINIOUS MAGIC/Desc: Both players choose either a red box or a black box. The player selecting the red box gains 200 life points for each card sent to his or her graveyard after this card's activation. The player selecting the black box's graveyard is summoned to the field. These cards do not affect the 5 card zone limit. Either player's monster, magic, or trap effects do not affect these cards.

**Death Caliber Knight:** Level 4/ 1900/1800

**Graveyard Pulse:** CONTINIOUS MAGIC/Desc: When there are no cards in your graveyard, your opponent may not conduct a battle phase.

**Fountain of Black Magic:** EQUIPMENT MAGIC/Desc: This card may only be equipped to a DARK-type monster. The equipped monster gains 300 attack points during this card's controller's standby phase.

**Spirit Ryu:** Level 3/ 1000/1000/ Dragon Type/Desc: Each time you discard 1 Dragon-Type monster from your hand to the Graveyard during your Battle Step, increase the ATK and DEF of this monster by 1000 points until the End Step of that turn.

**Insurance:** MAGIC/Desc: Pay 1000 life points. Draw 4 cards from your deck.

**Magical Reproduction:** MAGIC/Desc: Pay 2000 life points. You may now have up to 10 magic or trap cards on the field.

**Killing the Counterbalance:** CONTINIOUS MAGIC/Desc: During the End Phase of a player's turn, a player must discard a number of cards from his or her deck equal to the total number of monsters on the field. This card's effect does not apply to players with any cards in their graveyards.

**Time Travel:** QUICK-PLAY MAGIC/Desc: Skip the next three turns. (Continuous effects are still applied.)

**Defending Seal of Dead Spirits:** MAGIC/Desc: Switch one of your opponent's defense position monsters into attack mode.

**Gift of the Mystical Elf:** TRAP/Desc: Increase your life points by 300 for each monster on the field (regardless of position.)

**Shadow Spell:** TRAP/Desc: Select one face-up monster on your opponent's side of the field. Decrease the ATK of the selected monster by 700, the selected card cannot change the position or attack. When the selected card is removed from field or destroyed, this card is also destroyed.

**Mystical Space Typhoon:** QUICK-PLAY MAGIC/Desc: Destroy one magic or trap card on the field.

**Sky Assault:** QUICK-PLAY MAGIC/Desc: Pay 1000 life points. Select one winged-beast or dragon-type monster on your side of the field. That monster may attack twice during the battle phase.

**Dead Dragon Zoma:** TRAP MONSTER/Desc: This card may be activated when your opponent attacks. Negate the attack. This card's attack power is equal to twice the attack power of the attacking monster. This card may immediately attack your opponent's life points (regardless of whose turn.)

**Ring of Defense:** QUICK-PLAY MAGIC/Desc: All damage inflicted from a magic or trap card effects is reduced to 0 during the turn this card is activated.


	36. Bakura v Kaiba, Part 3: The Fated Last T...

**Disclaimer: **See Chapter 35 for details

**Chapter 36: Bakura v. Kaiba, Part 3: The Fated Last Turn**

"I'll use my Raise Dead card to resurrect Diabound Carnal!" Bakura announced as a red Raise Dead symbol appeared on the field and then morphed into Diabound Carnal. "Next, I'll add this Afterimage of the Ghost magic card to special summon a Doppler Token!" he announced as an exact replica of his Diabound Carnal.

Kaiba growled, remembering the powers the new token possessed. "Now my Doppler Token is allowed to subtract 1800 attack points from your Blue Eyes White Dragon" Bakura pointed at his target, and explained his monster's ability.

"Guys, this is bad news for Kaiba! 1800 attack points are a lot!!" Joey pointed out, as the Doppler Token flew into Kaiba's Blue Eyes White Dragon, who became surrounded in a dark-purple aura and its attack points drastically lowered to a pathetic 1200.

"Diabound Carnal, launch your attack! Your target is Kaiba's Blue Eyes White Dragon!" Bakura pointed at the target. Diabound Carnal gathered a yellow fireball in its hands, hurling it at Kaiba's dragon creating a small screen of smoke as the third of Kaiba's dragons finally hit the graveyard. (**K's LP: 3550**) Kaiba hissed in Bakura's direction.

"Don't worry, there's more suffering where that came from! I'll end my turn now, and leave you to see if you can come up with anything to beat my team of monsters! Remember, only something with 3700 or more attack points will withstand my team of monsters, and I highly doubt you'd pull something like that out of your sleeve, even being the high ranked duelist you are" softly chuckled Bakura while his opponent drew.

"Now I'll set one card face down and summon my Spear Dragon (1900/0) in defense mode!" he explained as his blue dragon with a white underbelly and small slits full of shining red eyes appeared on the field, using its wings before it as a shield from an oncoming attack. Bakura burst out laughing.

"No way in hell! These are the monsters I've reduced the all powerful Seto Kaiba to using? I bet the paparazzi would love to see this! However, desperate times call for desperate measures" Bakura held back his laughter as he drew. "Hmm. This card will be useful later" he thought, noticing the effect of the card, which he added to his hand. His hand now consisted of 4 magic cards and 1 monster.

"Just hurry up and finish your move" Kaiba retorted.

"Gladly! I'll summon Demonic Vessel (1200/1500) in attack mode!" An ancient, rusty, dusty, brown jar materialized on the field. Glowing eyes and a wicked smile could be noticed from inside the jar. Its stats were a mediocre 1200 attack and 1500 defense. Then, I'll use this card, Compensation of Pain to sacrifice my Demonic Vessel to draw 3 cards from my deck" Bakura explained, grasping the top 3 cards from his deck, and adding them to his hand which he now studied cautiously. "Ah perfect" he thought, noticing one of his favorite combinations. However, his eyes shifted from his hand to Kaiba's set card. He couldn't risk placing his monster on the field while that face down card seemed to be waiting patiently for that. Bakura decided it would be best to wait until he was absolutely positive Kaiba would have no traps waiting.

"Now my Demonic Vessel will return to the field!" Bakura thrust his arm in the air and corresponding to the height of his arm, his dirty, ancient jar burst from the earth on the field. This time, however, the jar doubled, creating a clone of itself, but the new jar was nowhere near as ancient or dusty. Instead, it seemed to be a newer type of jar, with a thick maroon color.

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"What do you think those weird jars could be?" Anzu questioned.

"I'm not sure, Anzu. However, I don't have a good feeling about the effects of those cards, I'm sensing an evil presence from within the jar" Yugi thought, the latter sentence to himself.

Kaiba let a small hiss seep out from his teeth. "Meet Necro Jar (1100/900), a result of the second effect of my Demonic Vessel! But the fun won't stop there! Activate magic card, Stolen Spell! This card allows me to name one spell card in your deck, and if I guess correctly, the magic card goes to my hand! I think I'll pick...your Reclaim of Spell card!" he declared as Kaiba took his deck from the deck holster, flipping through it before coming to the proper magic card.

"All's fair" shrugged Kaiba, throwing the card at a wicked grinned Bakura, who caught the magic card effortlessly.

"Yes, it is fair and now it's only fair that I activate Reclaim of Spell and discard these 2 spell cards from my hand to bring back one spell card" he explained to the observers of the duel as he slipped two cards into his graveyard slot. After doing so, a card was ejected from the slot. Bakura snatched it, showed it to all witnessing the duel, and chuckled evilly.

"Why'd he bring back that card?" Joey asked.

"Hmm. Defending Seal of Dead Spirits" pondered Yugi, over what his foe could be developing. Kaiba seemed unfazed by the return of the magic card.

"Your deck will shrink even more now! I'll use Defending Seal of Dead Spirits to place your Spear Dragon in attack mode!" Bakura pointed at Kaiba's defending dragon, which soon was encased in a pink aura. The dragon instantly unfolded its wings and stood upright, ready to battle any monster who dare strike it.

"Necro Jar, attack Spear Dragon!" Bakura instructed as his monster gathered dark energy, launching it in a sphere-form at the dragon. However, Kaiba's Spear Dragon responded by unleashing a small, but powerful, blue cyclone, effortlessly smashing the energy sphere apart. The assault didn't end there, however. The cycle of wind continued until it had destroyed the source, Necro Pot. The jar was easily smashed apart by the strength of the winds. (**B's LP: 1000**)

"Seems to me like my deck stayed the same" Kaiba remarked.

"Or has it? When Necro Jar is destroyed, it takes 1 card from your deck for every 300 life points I just lost! Since I lost 800 life points, 2 cards are gone from your deck" Bakura chuckled while Seto slowly drew the top 2 cards from his deck, saw what they were, and shoved them into his graveyard slot, which was now becoming quite full.

"The damage won't stop there! Demonic Vessel, attack Spear Dragon!" Bakura once again commanded an attack. The rusty jar beamed yellow and launched a stream of light at Spear Dragon, who once again released the cool blue cyclone, simply coursing through the light stream and shattering a second jar. (**B's LP: 300**)

"Guys, Bakura just flushed 1500 life points!" Tristan pointed out.

"Yeah, but I wonder why. He must have somethin' better than this planned if he flushed all those points just to have Kaiba discard a couple of cards from his deck" Joey revealed.

"Very perceptive of you Joey! First, Kaiba here discards 2 cards for each star of his monster that destroyed my Demonic Vessel, cutting him short 8 more cards" Kaiba once again un-holstered his deck, counted the top 8 cards and sadly added them to his cards in the graveyard.

"Next on my list is to activate this trap! Prayer Treasure gives me 100 life points for each card in the graveyard! I count 51, so that means my life point total will raise tremendously!" Bakura grinned as his duel disk skyrocketed in life point count (**B's LP: 5400**)

"Now here comes my favorite part! Doppler Token, infect his Spear Dragon!" demanded Bakura as his demon flew inside Spear Dragon, a deep purple aura emitting around it and weakening it's strength to a pitiful 100. "Diabound Carnal, attack!" his monster gathered up a ball of fire, hurling it at Spear Dragon, eliminating the monster as well as over half of Kaiba's life points. (**K's LP: 1750**) Smoke flooded Kaiba's half of the arena. However, the master duelist could hear Bakura chuckling in the background.

"Deck, show me a miracle" silently hoped Kaiba.

"Guys, Kaiba's really going to need some faith this turn!" Anzu pointed out. Kaiba slowly drew from his deck, and for the first time in the duel, he flashed Bakura a grin.

"Prepare to feel the real power of my deck, Bakura-kun! I'll set two cards face down and summon Saggi the Dark Clown (600/1500) in defense mode!" Kaiba declared as his brown backed card appeared on the field, followed by an evil clown with black make-up over one of its eyes, a star on its face, wearing two long socks and pointed-end brown shoes. It let out a sinister laugh.

"Heh" Bakura shrugged off the summoning. "Whatever you do, time for you to discard 12 cards!" Kaiba obeyed, placing 12 cards into his graveyard. (**K's LP: 4150**)

"Interesting match, huh?" one of two more finalists asked his companion, both of them dressed up exactly like the ace and joker in a set of playing cards.

"Not too interesting. Something that will be interesting, however, is when it's our turn" the second one smiled evilly, as did the first. Miranda turned briefly, glaring at them. They simply shrugged the look off.

"My move!" Bakura drew. "Have fun, Doppler Token! Have fun infecting Saggi the Dar..."

"What Doppler Token?" cut off Kaiba.

"Don't be a fool! You know damn well what..." Bakura surveyed the field, but could find no trace of his Doppler Token.

"Hey look! Doppler Token's missing..." Yugi said.

"What have you done with my token..." hissed Bakura.

"I've destroyed it along with every other one of your magic and trap cards, using this card! Atomic Blast!" Kaiba explained as his trap revealed itself, letting off an explosion, engulfing the entire dueling arena in smoke. The smoke quickly lifted itself off the field, resulting in Bakura's entire magic and trap row destroyed, along with a dent in his score: (**B's LP: 3400**)

"But...how" disbelieved Bakura.

"Easy! My trap not only destroyed your entire magic and trap row, it also caused you 500 points of damage for every one of them I destroyed. All I'm required to do is give up 1000 life points, a payment I look forward to making (**K's LP: 3150**)

Bakura growled. "It doesn't save your dark clown from this! Diabound Carnal, attack Saggi!" he angrily forced, his monster obeying by launching the red fireball.

"Your attack won't reach my dark clown! Reveal trap, Ring of Destruction!" shouted Kaiba as his trap flipped up. A metal ring with flames erupting around it instantly appeared around Diabound Carnal's neck, disintegrating it and Diabound's fireball up. (**K's LP: 1850**) (**B's LP: 2100**)

Bakura was in a state of shock. Kaiba managed to destroy every single card he had on the field in just one turn. His entire strategy of decking Kaiba out was ruined and he barely had any more cards he could count on. However, he was determined not to show Kaiba his weakness. He stood firmly. "Don't count me out until my life points reach zero" stated Bakura, setting two magic or trap cards on the field.

"Don't worry" reassured Kaiba. "I'll make sure that'll happen."

Kaiba drew. "Now I summon a second Lord of Dragons (1200/1100) in attack mode! Then, I'll use a magic card, Flute of the Summoning Dragon to special summon Cave Dragon (2000/100)!" he explained as his second wizard protected by thick bones appeared on the field. This time, however, a golden flute carved into a dragon's neck appeared in his hand. He sounded the instrument, calling forth an orange and green dragon. It seemed old, but powerful.

"Then I'll summon Clone Dragon!" Kaiba added.

"But you've already summoned a monster this turn!" countered Bakura.

"Yes, but Clone Dragon's a special kind of monster! Whenever I summon a monster, I can also summon Clone Dragon who takes on the same attack and defense of the monster I summon! Clone Dragon, appear and become Cave Dragon!" commanded Kaiba, slapping the card onto his monster zone. A holographic egg appeared on the field, then cracked, revealing a bright light. The light died down to reveal a second Cave Dragon on the field (2000/100).

Bakura could barely believe his eyes. He was completely open for a direct attack, and his opponent had more than enough power to destroy his life points.

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"Oh yeah! Kaiba's got this match in the bag!" cheered Kevin.

"Don't be so sure" warned Yugi. "Bakura's no amateur, he's got to have some kind of plan, but let's just hope it's nothing too big."

"Lord of Dragons, attack him directly!" commanded Kaiba.

"Activate trap! Cry of Darkness! This card lets me special summon one monster from _your _graveyard and use it as a shield against you! The monster I choose to be reborn is none other than the infamous Blue Eyes White Dragon!" Bakura declared as a thin, black mist emerged from his card. The mist cloud grew thicker and began to move in a circle. The speed of the winds picked up drastically, until the blackness created a shield around something no one could view. The mist died down to reveal its secret: Blue Eyes White Dragon (3000/2500).

"No..." Kaiba shouted, witnessing his prized monster being used in battle against him. Lord of Dragons then cast a spell to use against the dragon, but the magic attack was easily absorbed by the shell of the dragon, and then reflected onto Lord of Dragons, sending him flying backwards. (**K's LP: 550**) Kaiba hissed at Bakura, who chuckled as a reply.

"Now I'll chain with this card!" Bakura raised his index finger in the air, triggering the activation of his trap. "Let's go, Devil Twister!" From the air, three ghastly, transparent, purple demons formed. They were purple blobs, often switching shapes and sizes, attempting to frighten all except Bakura. "See, I can pay 2000 life points to destroy all monsters on the field with 2000 or less attack points on the entire playing field!"

"No! It's not possible" gasped Kaiba, knowing his army of monsters would be reduced to nothing.

"Oh, but I'm afraid it is possible and it will happen! Devil Twister, eliminate all 3 of Kaiba's monsters!" commanded Bakura as one of his three demons flew into Lord of Dragons, Cave Dragon, and Clone Dragon. In unison, all three demons exploded, causing the monsters themselves to detonate as well. A brief wave of smoke covered the arena.

"Have you FINALLY figured out that I will win our little duel? And you, well, you will be trapped within the walls of the Shadow Realm struggling for breath and life? If not, you'd better realize your inevitable fate soon. I grow impatient" slyly smiled Bakura.

Kaiba ignored his threats. "I've only got one card in my deck to save me now" he thought. "Let's go deck" he placed his hand on the top card and slowly drew it out. "This may help" he activated it. "First, I'm activating the magic card, 7!" he announced as a mahogany slot from a slot machine appeared on the field. At the top flashed a vivid red seven with an Eye of Horus background, which was the in the center of several brown streaks distributing from it, covering up almost all traces of its original white background.

"Hmm. A 7 card. When combined with the other 2 "7"'s in a player's deck, it can be quite the useful card, but I wonder what Kaiba plans to do to get the others out" carefully noticed Bakura. His hand was almost next to worthless, but he noticed a few magic and trap cards he could use in combinations together. All he needed was for Kaiba to provide the perfect set-up.

"Kaiba's playing a risky move with those 7 cards. He could be defeated within the next turn if he should not happen to get his other two 7 cards" Miranda pointed out.

"You've got a point there, Kaiba really does have a gutsy move awaiting him, I just wonder how he'll get those other two cards on the field" Kevin added.

"Hmm..." sighed Yugi. "Knowing the strategic thinker Kaiba is, I doubt he'll have to worry little about that part. The true obstacle is what Bakura will do to clash with that" Yugi thought.

"Trust me, you fool, you won't win this, thanks to this card! The power of this card will allow me to summon the two remaining 7 cards and finally defeating you! Behold the power of my Magic Mimicking Machine!" A blue version of the Interdimensional Matter Transporter card could now be seen on the playing field. In the front end went the "7" card. The machine brightly glowed a vivid, blinding beige light, streaming in all directions. The light simmered down quite quickly and shot out the original 7 card, and then two clones before dispersing from the field.

Bakura was flabbergasted. "How can this be? Now, not only does he get to draw 3 cards from his deck, he also gains 2100 life points on top of that. But that's alright. I still have one monster in my deck I can count on to wipe this nuisance from the tournament."

"Alright guys! Kaiba's back in the game, and he's got a new shot at defeating Bakura!" Tristan cheered.

"Yeah, I can't believe I'd say this, but go Kaiba!" Joey agreed, somehow...

"That one's very strong by himself. Combined with his Ka, it could become a great deal of energy" a figure on the opposite side of the arena told his apparent "partner".

"Got a point there, but I'm more interested in the Pharaoh" the other figure, speaking with a British accent, slyly licked his lips, thinking of the pain and struggles the Pharaoh would face if they were to face each other. Yugi briefly turned that way, meeting eyes with the figure with the British accent. The figure cracked a wicked smile at Yugi as if luring him to come fight him. Only Kaiba's words broke their staring match.

"Next up, I'll tribute my 3 magic cards to draw 3 cards from his deck!" Kaiba declared as all three cards transformed into small white orbs which then flew into the top 3 cards on Kaiba's deck. His duel disk's life point counter changed from 550 to "Draw Three", which he did, but had yet to view his newly drawn cards, as if he knew he would jinx himself. "Following that up, my life points take a serious increase" (**K's LP: 2650**)

"Oh no! Now Kaiba's way ahead of me in life points, and I barely have anything on the field to protect me. His Blue Eyes White Dragon may be on my side of the field for now, but during the next turn it is destroyed. There has to be some way I can resurrect Diabound Carnal and finish him off before he does the same to me!" Bakura thought, glaring and snarling towards Kaiba.

"Nice! Kaiba's got this freak-show reject beat bad!" Kevin smiled.

"Next, I summon Familiar Knight (1200/1400) in defense mode" Kaiba declared as his monster appeared on the field. He was a knight with a spiky silver mask covering his face. His entire body was clothed in reflective, glistening silver armor. He wielded a weak but powerful sword and had a red cape that flew in the holographic wind around him. He bent down onto one knee and placed his metallic shield before him. "Next, I'm setting this card face down."

"Do whatever you want. The darkness will still envelop you, pathetic mortal" spat back Bakura.

"Whatever. Are you another one of those "I was involved in an Ancient Egypt power struggle 5,000 years ago people?", because if you are, you should know that I highly doubt that's even possible. I am Seto Kaiba, not some ancient priest. I know that I play to win for power and money, not for magic and ruling kingdoms. Really, all this Ancient Egypt talk is getting on my nerves. None of it's true! How could you people know if I was even involved with this power thing? None of you have even lived that long!" protested Kaiba. At that moment, the Millennium Ring began to glow brightly.

"You should know things aren't always what they seem!" defended Bakura. Kaiba's soul felt like it was being ripped from his body. He began to see brightly colored dashes and streams of light. He was in a long hallway, and he began to run for the exit, wherever it may be. He could see something in the distance. As he ran closer to the mysterious figure, it seemed to be coming closer to him as well. When he met it, he instantly remembered what it was.

"No! It can't be. It's that damned tablet! What is going on here!?!" screamed Kaiba. The tablet glowed a mystic blue and dragged Kaiba deep within its surface. He found himself in a blue sorcerer's outfit, wielding a golden rod with the Eye of Horus on the top of it. He was kneeling on the ground before a flower and a tombstone. Kaiba couldn't make out the writing on the tombstone however; he was not within reading distance. His eyes shifted from the tombstone to the man.

As soon as he looked at the man, the man stood up, looking in the same direction Kaiba was. However, the man could not see Kaiba, but Kaiba studied him closely and carefully. "That face, he reminds me of...myself. No! I refuse to believe any of this!" Kaiba grabbed his head, trying to make the vision in his head vanish. He regained self-control just in time to see the man stand before a statue. Kaiba studied its features carefully and concluded that it must be the Blue Eyes White Dragon. He was right. However, the sorcerer raised the rod high into the air, which then reacted by emitting a bright light centered on the Blue Eyes statue. The dragon burst to life and roared a roar that sounded all too familiar to Seto Kaiba's ears. The mage hopped onto the dragon. The dragon then took off into the evening sky. Kaiba felt his soul tingle again. This time he was being dragged quickly back through Ancient Egypt, back through the tablet, back through the hallway, back to his own body. He gasped for oh-so-precious breath.

"Have fun?" Bakura inquired.

"Oh yeah, too bad I forgot to write" Kaiba sarcastically responded, now up on his feet. "What were those visions and how can I stop them from happening. First, I meet that Isis lady at the Domino Museum, and then later, when I duel on my blimp during Battle City, those were the first sign of these visions. Even more so, when I faced Yugi at the top of my Duel Tower on Alcatraz, even stranger visions occurred. I thought it may have something to do with that Malik fool, but when Yugi faced him and defeated his "evil half" everything returned to normal...or did it. And now, when I face Bakura, even more visions come to life. It has to do something with those "Millennium Items". Every time my vision occurs, someone with a Millennium Item is my opponent in a duel. I'll just have to uncover these secrets when I get time. But that comes second, because right now I've got a duel to win."

Bakura drew his next card. At that moment, Blue Eyes White Dragon self-destructed in a bright explosion, but left no smoke behind.

"Looks like my Blue Eyes bailed on you" smiled Kaiba.

"Don't worry. Your Blue Eyes was only the opening act, and its now time to bring out the star of our show! I'll use this Dimension Jump card to revive the all-powerful Diabound Carnal! Be reborn!" called Bakura as a black Raise Dead symbol hovered in the sky. It stretched out to form the grey snakelike lower body, gray horns, gray face, and gray torso of the Diabound Carnal, who levitated before Bakura. He cracked an evil smirk.

"Diabound Carnal, prepare to attack! Your target is his shameful Familiar Knight!" Bakura instructed as his monster obeyed, firing a yellow fireball at the Familiar Knight.

"Your attack has triggered my trap card! Activate, Nightmare Illusion!" retorted Kaiba as his trap flipped-up. Purple and black chains sprang to life from the card, effortlessly smashing through the fireball and wrapping around Diabound's neck, wrists and snakelike leg. The chains dragged and slammed the monster upon a slab. Half of the chains then melted into the slab, locking Diabound Carnal in place.

"No, this can't be!" Bakura detested.

"I take it you're disappointed. But I feel I should let you know my trap card removes from play Diabound Carnal until your next turn" Kaiba pointed at his opponent's monster and then his opponent.

"Very well. I'll set this card face down on the field, and end my turn" sighed Bakura.

"That face down card is probably a trap, but just what kind of trap could it be?" said Yugi, mostly to his alter-ego, but he did realize he was speaking to his friends as well.

"I don't know, but knowing the traps Bakura's already used, I doubt Kaiba should attack" suggested Joey.

"Actually, Kaiba probably should attack. One, Bakura might be bluffing anyway and have set a magic card. I doubt it, but it could happen. Then, if Kaiba discovers Bakura's hidden trap cards, he could find a way to defeat them, but Kaiba's taking an extremely risky chance here. Let's just hope it pays off" corrected Kevin, fascinated by his idol's performance.

"My move" declared Kaiba, snatching a card from the top of his deck. "Still no monster" he grumbled and then decided what play he would execute this turn. "I'll switch Familiar Knight into attack mode. Strike his life points down!" commanded Kaiba as his knight unsheathed his sword and darted across the arena, slashing Bakura holographically, horizontally, before gliding back to his normal position. (**B's LP: 900**) Bakura slightly groaned as he slowly sank to his knees, impressed with the force of the attack. However, he quickly gathered enough energy to stand back on his feet, waiting for Kaiba to officially declare the end of his turn.

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"Augh yeah! Bakura's face down card wasn't a trap at all! Kaiba's one attack away from winning this duel" cheered Joey, watching from the sidelines. He changed his opinion after hearing Anzu groan slightly. "Hey what's wrong Anzu?"

"It's just I don't think Kaiba's going to win this as easily as you think" Anzu stated.

"She's right, Joey" chimed in Yugi. "Look at Bakura's face, something's definitely up. Plus, Diabound Carnal is free on Bakura's next turn, and he can wipe out Kaiba's remaining defense. Even more so, I bet that face down card IS a trap, but Bakura's just not ready to spring it on Kaiba quite yet.

"I'll set three cards face down, just in case I may need them" thought Kaiba, as he placed three cards onto the field, in his magic and trap row. "Now I'll end my move"

Bakura chuckled as soon as he heard those words. "Now I'll end this duel" he slyly picked up the card from his deck, and gasped at his result. It was the perfect card to help him win. He chuckled even more ghostly. "I've drawn the card I need to finish you off! Activate magic card, Centennial Swap!"

"Centennial Swap..." wondered Kaiba, never even hearing of the card before.

"I take it you haven't seen the effects of this card" inferred Bakura, by viewing the look on his opponent's face. "Well let me enlighten you, because as soon as I give up 100 life points, this card discards our hands, and we draw the first five cards out of our graveyards, and they become our new hand. So, now I'll use its all powerful magic to switch hands!" he declared as his life point total lowered (**B's LP: 800**) and both opponents discarded their hands, and then snatched the 5 cards their respective graveyards spat out and glanced over them.

Kaiba was extremely cautious about his new hand. It consisted of Mystic Horseman, Trap Lv. 4, Blade Knight, Life Shortening Treasure, and Cost Down. "Nothing too great" he mumbled.

Bakura didn't even bother to glance over his hand. All he did was simply speak his next statement. "Don't get too comfortable, because that hand is about to reenter the graveyard again, since I'm activating my trap, Multiple Destruction!" he smiled as both Kaiba and Bakura knew the effect of the card. They both re-deposited their hands into the graveyard and drew 5 new cards. (**B's LP: 300**)

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"What do you think Bakura's up to with all this card discarding?" Kevin questioned.

"I don't know, but it must involve Diabound Carnal somewhere in the cycle, and it seems Bakura has a plan to end the duel this turn. I just hope Kaiba can defend himself against it" responded Yugi.

"Nervous Kaiba?" an evilly-toned Bakura pondered.

"Oh yes, quite. Can't you tell" an unenthusiastic Kaiba replied.

Bakura growled. "Charming" he mumbled. "I think it's time to send the great Seto Kaiba to hell, and I have the ultimate magic card to combine with Diabound Carnal to do so! And speaking of Diabound Carnal, my demon doesn't enjoy being locked up for too long, so lets let him out!" he shouted as his monster struggled, but eventually broke free from the chains binding him to the slab. He rotated his wrists and levitated down to the field, opposite Kaiba, but facing him as well.

"I'm so impressed" a monotone Kaiba yawned. "I think I could find a better prize in a cereal box, but I guess I am impressed by how badly you've been dueling and how big you think you really are with all this "I'm going to win" and "prepare to die" speeches. Sometimes, you Millennium Item psychos are way too much for me"

Bakura didn't budge at Kaiba's comments. Instead, he continued his turn. "You won't be smart-mouthing for long, since I'm using the magic card that will end this duel! Reveal, Spiritualistic Medium!" Kaiba and Yugi simultaneously gasped at the powers Bakura could now use to his benefit.

"So that's why he discarded all those cards" thought Yugi.

"I'd better help nothing in his hand can destroy my face down cards. I just need him to attack and he loses" a half-nervous Kaiba remembered. "Attack me" he stated to himself.

"As you seem to be well aware, Spiritualistic Medium raises Diabound Carnal's attack strength by 500 points for each card I've discarded within my turn, and I count a mighty total of 11, strengthening Diabound Carnal by a whopping 5500 points" Bakura screamed as 11 ghosts entered Diabound Carnal's body, who gasped, twisted, and turned by the sudden possession of his body, as if like it were some rag doll being passed around. Kaiba noticed Diabound Carnal's strength indicator increase rapidly, until it halted at 7300 attack points. "You lose" declared Bakura.

"This is it" Kaiba glued his eyes on his opponent and his super-sized monster.

"I've been setting you up for this play the entire match! Everything else was a decoy. Dark Necrofear, each time Diabound battled your Blue Eyes, my removing cards from your deck strategy, all of it! I've set you up and you fell for it. Of course, this action could NEVER have succeeded without your help, so I do applaud you on that note" chuckled Bakura.

"Help you?? The hell are you talking about?" retorted Kaiba.

"You've done the one thing I thought you'd never do. You left a completely weak monster on the field in attack position. The attack points of our monsters differ by over 6000! Diabound Carnal, win the match for me by attacking Kaiba's pitiful warrior!" instructed Bakura as his monster gathered fire in his hands and created an enormous fireball, which he hurled at the Familiar Knight.

"Don't count me out quite yet! I can still use my magic card, White Dragon Descent! This card will let me sacrifice Spear Dragon from my hand, and my Familiar Knight to revive a card from my graveyard! Be reborn, Blue Eyes White Dragon!" declared Kaiba as his Familiar Knight was enveloped in a bolt of pale blue lightning. Kaiba then received the Blue Eyes from his graveyard, which he slapped onto his card plate, creating a chain reaction. Electricity cackled from the mighty dragon's card and from the skies descended the mighty dragon, which unfolded its wings to full length and roared its signature roar. Bakura seemed puzzled.

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"Hey look, Kaiba just brought back his Blue Eyes, but I don't get why. Diabound Carnal still has over 4000 more attack points than your little dragon" Bakura smirked, shifting his eyes at his no-longer attacking Diabound Carnal. "You fool! Don't let this stop you! Continue your attack!" commanded an angry Bakura. Diabound Carnal instantly obeyed and fired his yellow fireball at the Blue Eyes White Dragon. Kaiba wasn't moved by the assault.

"Kaiba's done for" declared Joey.

"Don't think too quickly" Kevin thought to himself.

"Reverse set trap, Soul Energy Alteration! This card will allow me to summon any monster that hasn't been already summoned by offering one monster and paying half of the difference in life points between my two monsters, but I'm already well ready for that!" Kaiba responded.

"But what will you do!? The Blue Eyes White Dragon is your strongest monster! Sacrificing it to summon something is suicidal!" strongly retorted Bakura.

"I'll give you some credit, he announced, raising the card he was going to summon in the air. My strongest beast IS the Blue Eyes White Dragon, but in a different form!" shouted Kaiba.

"Different form!?!?!" repeated Bakura.

"Oh yeah, I think Kaiba's going to really teach this guy a lesson!" cheered Anzu.

"I hope so, but no monster in the entire game has 7300 attack points on its own. That final face down card of Kaiba's must be the key card in his strategy" Yugi told his comrades, whose faces had finally flashed a smile during the dark duel. Yugi's other personality also seemed cheerful.

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"Ooh. I'm sensing strong energies being released from Kaiba" Mystery Figure #1 (the ace) stated.

"Yeah, but if we push him to his limit, he'll grow stronger, giving us more power when we triumph over him" Mystery Figure #2 (the joker) responded.

"Now I give up my Blue Eyes White Dragon, and 750 life points (**K's LP: 1900**) to summon my ultimate creature! I call upon you, Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon, come forth!" Kaiba slapped the card over his Blue Eyes White Dragon. In a surge of white and blue energy, the Blue Eyes was taken high above the dueling arena into the sky. Energy exploded from its body, oozing from its pores. The Blue Eyes White Dragon then exploded, and its body parts rearranged themselves to form a stronger beast, this one with three Blue Eyes White Dragon heads all mounted upon one body. Its eyes had no pupils, and a strange insignia could be located on each of its three heads. All three heads roared simultaneously.

"Yeah!!!" cheered Joey, Kevin, Anzu, and Tristan on the sidelines. Joey then noticed Yugi's solemn behavior.

"This is good, right Yugi? I mean, you're kind of killing the mood here" Joey became worried.

"Joey, even though Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon is one of the strongest monsters in the game, its strength still doesn't match that of Diabound Carnal's. Plus, its still Bakura's turn, so he can activate magic cards from his hand to wipe out that face down card of Kaiba's, and I bet Kaiba's last card is the most important to his entire strategy" solemnly warned Yugi.

"Interesting plays, Kaiba, but this where they all end! I know that final face down card of yours is extremely important to you, so I'm going to wipe it off the field using this magic card, Power Strain! This card destroys all magic and trap cards on your side of the field, and causes you to lose 500 life points for each one destroyed" happily explained Bakura as yellow rings transformed Kaiba's face down card into energy, which then smashed into Kaiba before vanishing. (**K's LP: 1400**)

Kaiba burst out laughing. "Fool, that is the play I expected you to make, for you have allowed me to win the duel!"

"I think you're the fool here! Your last trap is gone and you have no monsters that can protect your life points. It ends here! Prepare to enter an eternal hell, and I promise you, this is no illusion you fool! Diabound Carnal, attack the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon along with Kaiba. No offense Kaiba, but I love to win. But you know what, I love it even more when other people...lose!" Diabound Carnal launched the fireball at the Ultimate Dragon, but it began to shrink in size, along with its fireball. Diabound Carnal reverted all the way back to its normal size as the fireball made impact with the dragon, creating a terrible screen of smoke.

All the contenders' eyes were glued to the screen. The first thing anyone noticed was Diabound Carnal...and nothing else.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**CARDS PLAYED: **

**Raise Dead: MAGIC/Desc: Select one monster in either you or your opponent's graveyard and special summon it to the field in face-up attack or defense position.**

**Afterimage of the Ghost: EQUIP MAGIC/Desc: Special summon one "Doppler Token" to the field. The "Doppler Token" has the same attack power as the equipped monster. The "Doppler Token" may also subtract attack points from one of your opponent's monsters equal to the attack points of this monster. **

**Spear Dragon: Level 4/ 1900/0/ Dragon/Desc: When this monster attacks with an attack higher than your opponent's monster's DEF, subtract the difference to your opponent's life points as battle damage. When this card attacks, it is placed in defense mode at the end of the battle step.**

**Demonic Vessel: Level 4/1200/1500/ Demon/Desc: When this card is tributed or destroyed due to a magic or trap effect, special summon it back to the field in any position. When this card is special summoned, you may special summon one "Necro Jar"**

**Necro Jar: Level 4/1100/900/ Demon/Desc: When this card is destroyed as a result of battle, your opponent discards cards from his or her deck equal to one-third of the battle damage.**

**Stolen Spell: MAGIC/Desc: Declare the name of one magic card. If that card is in your opponent' s deck, add that card into your hand.**

**Reclaim of Spell: MAGIC/Desc: Discard 2 magic cards from your hand. Select one magic card in your graveyard and add it to your hand.**

**Defending Seal of Dead Spirits: MAGIC/Desc: Switch one of your opponent's monsters into face-up attack position.**

**Prayer Treasure: TRAP/Desc: Gain 100 life points for each card in both players' graveyards. **

**Atomic Blast: TRAP/Desc: Pay 1000 life points. Destroy all magic and trap cards on your opponent's side of the field. Inflict 500 points of direct damage for each card destroyed by this card's effect.**

**Ring of Destruction: TRAP/Desc: Destroy 1 face-up Monster Card and inflict Direct Damage equal to the destroyed card's ATK to the Life Points of both you and your opponent.**

**Lord of Dragons: Level 4/ 1200/1100/ Spellcaster/Desc: As long as this card remains face-up on the field, all dragon type monsters are unaffected by monster effects, magic effects, or trap effects.**

**Flute of the Summoning Dragon: MAGIC/Desc: By activating this card when you have a face-up "Lord of Dragons" on your side of the field allows you to special summon 2 dragon-type monsters from your hand to the field in face-up attack position.**

**Cave Dragon: Level 4/ 2000/100/ Dragon/Desc: If there is a monster on your side of the field, you cannot Normal Summon this monster. In addition, if there are no Dragon-Type monsters except this card on your side of the field, this monster cannot attack.**

**Clone Dragon: Level 4/ ?/?/ Dragon/Desc: This card may be special summoned when you summon a monster. This monster's ATK and DEF become the same as the monster that has been summoned.**

**Cry of Darkness: TRAP/Desc: When your opponent attacks, you may select one monster in your opponent's graveyard and special summon it to the field in face-up defense position. That monster becomes the new target of the attack.**

**Devil Twister: TRAP/Desc: Pay any amount of life points. All monsters with attack points equal to or lower than the amount of life points you paid are destroyed. When this card is sent to the graveyard, you may select one "Diabound Carnal" in your deck or graveyard and place it in your hand.**

**7: CONTINIOUS MAGIC/Desc: When there are 3 face-up "7" cards on your side of the field, draw 3 cards from your Deck. Then destroy all "7" cards. When this card is sent directly from the field to your Graveyard, increase your Life Points by 700 points.**

**Magic Mimicking Machine: QUICK-PLAY MAGIC/Desc: Select one face-up magic card on the field. You may play any magic card from your deck or graveyard that has the same name as the magic card you selected.**

**Familiar Knight: Level 4/ 1200/1400/ Warrior/Desc: When this card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard as a result of battle, each player can Special Summon 1 level 4 monster from their hand.**

**Dimension Jump: QUICK-PLAY MAGIC/Desc: Special summon one monster from your graveyard to the field in face-up attack position. Remove from play one monster card in your deck.**

**Nightmare Illusion: TRAP/Desc: When your opponent attacks, negate the attack and remove the attacking monster from play until your opponent's next standby phase.**

**Centennial Swap: MAGIC/Desc: Pay 100 life points. Both players discard their hands to the graveyard. In addition, the first five cards in both players' graveyards are added to the players' hands.**

**Multiple Destruction: TRAP/Desc: Both players discard their hands and draw the same number of cards they discard. Pay 100 life points times the number of cards you discarded.**

**Spiritualistic Medium: EQUIP MAGIC/Desc: Increase one monster on your side of the field's attack power by 500 points for each card you've discarded during the turn this card is activated.**

**White Dragon Descent: Tribute monsters from your field or your hand whose level stars are equal to 8. Special summon one "Blue Eyes White Dragon" from your hand, deck, or graveyard to the field.**

**Blue Eyes White Dragon: Level 8/3000/2500/ Dragon**

**Soul Energy Alteration: TRAP/Desc: Sacrifice one monster on your side of the field. Special summon one monster from your deck or fusion deck to the field. Half of the difference between the two monster's attack strengths are subtracted from your life points as direct damage. Place 3 counters on the special summoned monster. During each of your End Phases, remove one counter from the monster. When the monster has no counters on it, it is destroyed.**

**Power Strain: MAGIC/Desc: Destroy all magic and trap cards on your opponent's side of the field. Inflict 500 points of direct damage to your opponent's life points for each card destroyed by this card's effect.**


	37. Demonic Assault, Part 1

**Disclaimer: **See Chapter 36 for details

**Chapter 37: Demonic Assault, Part 1**

The battlefield was engulfed in smoke. Diabound Carnal could be made out, and nothing else.

"What happened to Kaiba?" a nervous and worried Yugi questioned. However, before anyone could speak, Yugi's question was answered. Kaiba was buried deep within the smoke cloud, but when the smoke cleared, everyone could tell Kaiba was just fine. The gang heard a roar from Kaiba's side of the field, one so powerful it could only belong to the Ultimate Dragon. The thing on their mind was why his Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon was fine as well.

"Yugi, what did Kaiba do? His Ultimate Dragon should be dead!" Joey protested.

Yugi was unsure how to respond, until from the corner of the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon, he noticed a magic card was active on the field. "Look, behind the Blue Eyes! Kaiba must have used that magic card!" he exclaimed.

"How…" Bakura growled. "You must have cheated with your little dueling disks! There's NO WAY you could have survived my assault!" claimed Bakura.

"Actually, I don't even need to cheat to defeat you! I play by the rules, and the ruling on that trap card you destroyed previously has really helped me out!" Kaiba shouted.

"Well then, not much it can do to you when it's destroyed" countered Bakura.

"Think again. My trap's use is at its highest when it's destroyed, because you've triggered the effect of my Protection Sphere! Since you so moronically destroyed my trap, its full effect is activated! You destroyed the protection, so now you've allowed me to activate what was kept within it! This trap gives me the power to activate any magic card from my deck! The card I've chosen is the key to my victory and to your end!" declared Kaiba.

"You lie!" disbelieved Bakura.

"Lie to this! Activate magic card, Magic Absorption!" called Kaiba as the magic card, decorated with a giant hand sapping energy from a creature through a deep purple vortex. All the faces watching or participating in the duel, save Kaiba, were astonished by the duel. The duel was over. The victor was decided.

"Now I can transfer each and every point you added to Diabound Carnal this turn into Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon!" explained Kaiba as Diabound Carnal shrunk rapidly via a red aura surrounding his body. His attack power lowered as well, all the way to his original 1800. The Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon, however, was also affected by the spell. In contrast, its body was encased within a blue aura, and grew at a steady rate until it was towering over Bakura and Diabound Carnal. Its attack points also showed a change, now at an amazing 10,000 points.

"It's over! Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon, counterattack and end the game!" commanded Kaiba. The three dragons obeyed their master, launching three separate streams of white lightning, which merged in mid-air to form a rainbow-lighted beam three times the size of a normal Blue Eyes White Dragon's attack. The lightning smashed into Diabound Carnal's chest and eliminated the demon once and for all. (**B's LP: 0**)

Kaiba sighed, sort of tired after fighting such a long duel. However, before resting, he wished to uncover the visions that occurred to him during the duel.

--------FLASHBACK----------

The Millennium Ring began to glow brightly.

"You should know things aren't always what they seem!" defended Bakura. Kaiba's soul felt like it was being ripped from his body. He began to see brightly colored dashes and streams of light. He was in a long hallway, and he began to run for the exit, wherever it may be. He could see something in the distance. As he ran closer to the mysterious figure, it seemed to be coming closer to him as well. When he met it, he instantly remembered what it was.

"No! It can't be. It's that damned tablet! What is going on here!?!" screamed Kaiba. The tablet glowed a mystic blue and dragged Kaiba deep within its surface. He found himself in a blue sorcerer's outfit, wielding a golden rod with the Eye of Horus on the top of it. He was kneeling on the ground before a flower and a tombstone. Kaiba couldn't make out the writing on the tombstone however; he was not within reading distance. His eyes shifted from the tombstone to the man.

As soon as he looked at the man, the man stood up, looking in the same direction Kaiba was. However, the man could not see Kaiba, but Kaiba studied him closely and carefully. "That face, he reminds me of...myself. No! I refuse to believe any of this!" Kaiba grabbed his head, trying to make the vision in his head vanish. He regained self-control just in time to see the man stand before a statue. Kaiba studied its features carefully and concluded that it must be the Blue Eyes White Dragon. He was right. However, the sorcerer raised the rod high into the air, which then reacted by emitting a bright light centered on the Blue Eyes statue. The dragon burst to life and roared a roar that sounded all too familiar to Seto Kaiba's ears. The mage hopped onto the dragon. The dragon then took off into the evening sky. Kaiba felt his soul tingle again. This time he was being dragged quickly back through Ancient Egypt, back through the tablet, back through the hallway, back to his own body. He gasped for oh-so-precious breath.

--- END FLASHBACK----

The platforms they were dueling on returned to ground level, and both duelists stepped off, going their separate ways, neither even thinking of speaking towards Yugi or his friends. "Wow, I'm not so sure Bakura will take losing so easily" Anzu broke the silence.

"The winner of this duel, Mr. Seto Kaiba, advances to the next round. There will be a half-hour intermission before you are required to meet here at exactly 7:51 tonight for the next duel. Any competitor not present here at 7:51 will be removed from the tournament without delay. That is all" a tournament official sternly declared before making his way to the elevator.

"Wow, they're really strict about this. Exactly 7:51!" Joey criticized.

"Yeah, but I just wonder who's up next. I can't wait to duel, even though I'll probably end up regretting those words, like I have countless times" Yugi chimed in. The gang followed suit to the elevator, going down into the lobby to rest, and eat some dinner.

By this time, everyone had finished eating. The gang was just sitting around, discussing whatever came to mind, when a person said hello to Yugi. He whirled around to meet a 16-year old woman with black hair and brown eyes. "Oh…um, hi" Yugi was unsure how to greet her. "What's your name?"

"My name is Miranda Guinaldo. I also happen to be a competitor in the tournament, and like yourself, I have entered this tournament firstly to combat and defeat the evil forces that wish to overtake the world, and secondly to extend my knowledge of cards and my dueling skills." She announced.

"Well, you sound pretty strong, and you must be if you've gotten this far" Yugi complemented.

"Don't mean to brag, but I'm one of the best there is" she lightened up, which let the gang know she was a friend instead of a foe.

"So, what kind of deck you have there?" Joey wondered.

"I run a Zodiac deck" she replied.

"Zodiac deck…never heard of any cards like those" Yugi added.

"Yeah, they're pretty rare, and they work together as a team like the Guardian monsters" Miranda explained.

"Mm. Well I'd love to duel. Wanna have a practice match?" Yugi asked.

"I would, but by the look of that clock, we've got 4 minutes to get back to the central tower before all 3 of us are disqualified" told Miranda.

"True, we'd better go. Come on guys!" Tristan ran off to the elevator as everyone followed.

Yugi and company were the last of the competitors to arrive. The tournament official checked his watch to make sure they were not tardy, which they weren't. He thrust his hand in the air. "The second match of the Grand Prix Tournament will begin now!" he declared.

The gang wondered who would be chosen to duel, cautious about the type of selection Kaiba had in mind. Would he do as he did before, have pre-selected an opponent?

"Using the same method used in the previous duel, we have determined Round 2's first competitor is Joey Wheeler!" announced the official. Joey seemed happy and was ready to duel and show off some skill. The only remaining question is: who would duel him. Yugi pondered it since he wanted to see how much Joey had improved since their last duel, quite a while back.

"No way I can waste time dueling him. I've got my eyes set on bigger targets" Miranda eyed the pair standing off to the sides dressed in the ace and joker costumes, far from anyone.

"I wouldn't dare waste my time dueling this fool" Kaiba announced to Mokuba. Mokuba's response was only a light sigh.

No one even dared to move towards the field for nearly 2 minutes. Joey was getting kind of nervous. "Is my reputation this bad?? Or is everyone just afraid to take on the best?" he wondered. Finally, after a long conversation with his partner, the competitor wearing the joker outfit made his way onto the field and the disks, which took off from the ground, hovering in mid-air.

"Ok, Joey's opponent will be, someone who refers to himself as "Black Joker". With that said, duelists shuffle your decks, insert them into the deck holsters and begin!" the official explained the rules, then moved to a new location on the central tower to ensure fair play.

"So, Black Joker, ready to lose?" Joey tried to psyche him out.

"Been waitin' kid" was his reply.

"Well, since you seem so confident, I'll let you take the first move!" Joey politely proclaimed.

"No matter to me! Now, I summon Zombie Swordsman (1200/900) in defense mode and end my turn" he declared as a frail zombie warrior appeared on the field, crouching and placing his shield before him, ready to ward off any sign of attack.

"Why'd he play such a weak monster? Oh well, his loss." Joey thought as he drew his card. "I set a card face down, and then play Alligator's Sword (1500/1200) in attack mode! Attack his Zombie Swordsman!" cried Joey as his lizard swordsman effortlessly slashed the defending zombie in two. Black Joker covered his mouth as the remains of his monster were blown backward.

Black Joker drew. "You may have defeated that monster, but you won't beat this! Zombie Archer (1200/1800) come to the field in defense mode!" he declared as an undead archer with flaming arrows, a bow, and a small shield appeared on the field, trying to defend himself with his shield.

"This guy is a joke!" Tristan commented from the sidelines.

"Not entirely true Tristan. I've got a feeling Joey's walking into a trap, but for the time being, that's the only way Joey can go." He told his friend. "Let's go Joey!" cheered Yugi.

"Man, I don't get this guy. He hasn't played one magic or trap card and he just has really weak monsters. He might just not have the luck of the draw today, but then again, nothing in my hand can beat his monster either. I'll just have to wait" he wondered, checking out the card he drew. "Get ready! I'm summoning Little Winguard (1400/1800) in defense mode" his monster in light blue clothing holding a small sword/shield combo appeared on the field, kneeling.

"So, nothing you can do this turn, eh?" Black Joker realized.

"Nope, but I will set this card face down and let it go back to you" added Joey.

"Alrighty then" Black Joker shrugged as he drew. He cracked a sly grin, too small for any eyes to notice. "This is where our duel begins to come to life! I sacrifice Zombie Archer in order to summon my Zolworm (1700/1300) in defense mode!" he declared as his archer was replaced by a monster completely formed from a yellow-green slime. His monster was translucent and resembled a slimy Seasnake. The monster curled up into a defensive position. "Next, I'll place one card face down before ending my move."

Joey drew. "Something's definitely not right about this guy. First, he plays two weak throw-away monsters. Then, he summons a monster that's stronger than my two. Is he worried about my face down cards, or is he trying to bait me into a trap. I'll bet he wants me to attack, but with no face down cards, what's the worst that could happen?" The gang anctipated Joey's move, wondering what idea the Black Joker had in mind. He was dueling poorly for know, but it may just have been a con.

"Be careful Joey" warned Miranda. However, Joey paid no attention to this. He was caught up in planning out his victory already. "His ego…will one day be his downfall" she muttered to herself.

"I'm switching both of my monsters into attack mode!" declared Joey as Little Winguard sprung out from his crouching position, ready to strike. "Little Winguard, attack his monster!" he announced as his monster ran at the translucent slime, reducing it to a puddle with its thick blade. "Alligator's Sword, follow up with a direct attack!" he added as his lizard warrior holographically slashed Black Joker, reducing his life points. (**BJ: 2500**). Black Joker let out a small laugh.

"What? You LIKE losing life points?" Joey confusedly asked.

"No fool, I like it when you screw up like you just have! Didn't that move seem obvious? For destroying my Zolworm, you activate its special ability!" He pointed at the puddle of slime that used to be Zolworm, which now was coming together to form two miniature Zolworms, that did front flips, landing on the faces of Joey's monsters.

"What's going on?!!?" a worried Joey dared to question.

"This is "what's going on." Your careless move allows me to sacrifice your two monsters that are controlled by mine whenever I wish" Black Joker drew his next card. "And the perfect time is now! I sacrifice your two monsters to bring forth this card! The mighty Marcellus, Lv. 1 (2100/2250)!" he announced as his monster appeared on the field. It was a tall, undead creature wielding a thickly laced shield and a sword with a long, heavy blade.

"So he was baiting him" Yugi realized.

"Marcellus Level 1, attack Joey's life points directly!" Black Joker commanded as his monster thrust his shield to the side, and charged his sword up which emitted a green glow. The monster then thrust waves of green energy at Joey, damaging him. (**J: 1900**)

"Joey? Are you alright?!" Yugi cried to his friend.

Joey slowly made his way to his feet and maintained a steady balance. "Yeah, I'm good, but I've already lost over half of my life points, so I'm not doing too hot anymore" he commentated.

"Well, things will get even colder for you because since my monster caused you to lose life points, I can sacrifice it to summon Marcellus, Lv. 2 (2600/2400)" Black Joker wickedly laughed as a bolt of lightning struck Marcellus, transforming him into a more powerful creature. This Marcellus' skin was a light brown color, but its eyes were gleaming red and were fiercer. The green glow of the sword was replaced with a deadly red glow.

"Whoa! Look guys, Joey's got no monsters on the field and the Black Joker's nearly got him beaten" Anzu pointed out (for no reason).

"Yes Anzu, Joey's in a tough situation, but he's been in tougher situations and still managed to overcome them. I just hope Joey has the luck he needs or else when he loses, I've got a feeling he'll be losing more than his spot in the tournament, much more. We don't know what the Black Joker's true intentions are yet, but let's just pray they're nothing like what we've been against before" preached Yugi. Anzu just sighed for a response.

"Wheeler's made himself look like a fool now. He was so sure he was going to win, but a careless mistake turned that around. Let's see him roll his way out of this situation" an intrigued Kaiba wondered.

Joey drew. "Alright, this will save me for one turn" he thought. "I summon Battle Warrior (700/1000) in attack mode and end my turn."

Black Joker noticed this. "He's definitely using those face-down cards this turn. No duelist puts himself or herself in a position to lose like this. If I risk attacking, I could trigger one of his cards, but if I don't attack, he may come back stronger in the next turn. Eh, I'll go for it. This chump probably doesn't have anything THAT deadly in his deck." He drew. "I'll summon Ninja (1100/1400) in attack mode. Next, Marcellus Lv. 2 will attack your pitiful Battle Warrior!" he declared as Marcellus slammed his sword on the ground, making a column of fire surround the Battle Warrior. When the blaze died down, Battle Warrior remained on the field, to no one's surprise.

"I activated my trap, Silver Dollar, to save my monster and prevent battle damage!" proclaimed Joey.

"Like I didn't know something like that was coming" Black Joker sarcastically replied. "I'll end my turn from here."

Joey drew. "I might lose a monster and some life points, but he'll lose more" he thought while planning his move. "Here's goes nothing! I sacrifice Battle Warrior to summon Android Psycho Shocker (2400/1500). I'll set a card face down and let Android Psycho Shocker attack your Ninja!" he claimed as his android gathered a ball of psychic energy, thrusting it at the robotic ninja, annihilating him. (**BJ: 1200**)

"You won't win! My monster overpowers yours and now you can't activate any trap cards. Poor stupid Joey. I could only count on _you _to do something like that" retaliated the black joker.

"Hey Yugi, do you think what Joey did was smart" Tristan wondered.

"Well, it depends. Joey did cause himself to gain a lead, but I think it really depends on what Black Joker does this turn that will be the deciding factor" Miranda answered for him.

"Quite a show" Ace of Spades complimented, mostly to himself. "But I'll top it"

"I'd bet you'd lose trying" Black Joker sharply retaliated. Ace of Spades snickered sarcastically. "I draw" he announced to Joey.

"Yeah, my eyes work just fine" Joey replied.

"Ooh, smart. Anyway, I'll place the Red Knight (1200/1000) on the field in defense mode! Then, I can sacrifice both of my monsters to bring forth Marcellus Lv. 3 (3200/3500)" Black Joker said as his monsters' essences were fused together to form a tan, heavy armored Marcellus with two long, skinny, thick blades shooting from his arms.

"You can't! You've already summoned a monster this turn" protested Joey.

"Shut up boy! You should know that as long as Marcellus 2 is on the field, I can sacrifice it and another monster to bring out Marcellus Lv. 3! He'll rip you apart! Just like this! Marcellus Lv. 3 attack his Android Psycho Shocker!" commanded the Black Joker as Marcellus instantly appeared before the android and brought his blades together to slice the machine in two. Instead, however, something appeared in between the two monsters and was destroyed instead.

Black Joker hissed. "There's no way you could have used a trap! Your android is still on the field!" he disputed.

"Maybe I didn't use a trap! My MAGIC card, Attack Interceptor, allowed me to summon my Panther Warrior (2000/1600) in defense mode, which took your attack!" happily smiled Joey.

"You've forced me to do it! I activate another ability of Marcellus Lv. 3! I'll discard 2 cards to wipe out every monster on your side of the field with less than 3200 attack points" Black Joker explained as he paid the cost. His monster then jumped in the air, crossed his blades and slammed on the ground, emitting purple lightning all over the arena. The lightning forced Android Psycho Shocker to explode. "Sadly" continued the joker, "I lose the difference in our monster's attack points from my life points" (**BJ: 400**)

"Well then, thanks for letting me get one step closer to ending this match" Joey complimented.

"One step forward and about 5 steps back!" retaliated Black Joker as one of his traps flipped up. "Soul Raid will change that! It lets me pick a monster in my graveyard. I gain life points equal to its attack points, but am forced to remove the card from my graveyard. The monster I choose: Marcellus, Lv. 2 (**BJ: 3000**).

"Now Wheeler's in a tough spot" thought Kaiba.

"I draw" Joey declared. "Then, I'll play Blue Flame Swordsman (1800/1600) in defense mode"

Black Joker didn't comment, only drew a card. "I set one card face down and let Marcellus, Lv. 3 attack your monster" he instructed as Marcellus sliced the swordsman in three pieces. He was shocked to see the monster reform as the same monster only all places that had been blue before were now red-orange.

"What trick have you pulled now, Wheeler?" Black Joker wondered.

"No trick. You destroyed one Flame Swordsman, so now I can summon the other to the field (1800/1600)!" Joey explained as his favorite monster was ready to fight beside him. He drew. "Next up is Kijocky (1500/1200) in attack mode! Finally, I'll use a magic card to power my monster up stronger than yours!" Joey warned.

"There is no card that can take an 1800 monster and make it over 3200! It's impossible Joey! You lie!" disbelieved Black Joker.

"I'd check my card database again! Because here's one, it's known as Burning Soul Sword! I can sacrifice Kijocky to power up Flame Swordsman 1500 points!" he announced as a heavy, flaming blade replaced the regular one in Flame Swordsman's hands. Kijocky then transformed into an essence and flew within the sword. Flame Swordsman's attack points shot up to 3300.

"Attack" was the only word from Joey's mouth. The swordsman responded by enflaming the undead warrior and destroying him. (**BJ: 2900**) Black Joker growled.

He snatched the card from his deck. "Now I activate this trap, Selection of the Dead! This allows me to remove from play 2 monsters in my graveyard to revive one. I offer you Zombie Archer and Zolworm to bring forth once again, Marcellus Lv. 3 (3200/3500)!" Black Joker explained as the giant was once again back on the field.

"Man! All that work for nothing" Joey thought.

"Then, I'll continue by activating the card I drew, Card of Sanctity, requiring both of us to draw until we hold 6 cards" Black Joker drew his 6 cards. Joey drew 3.

"Perfect" cunningly smiled Black Joker. "I'll activate this card, Legendary Evolution! This spell lets me discard one monster from my hand, and for one turn, my Marcellus, Lv. 3 gains 300 attack points for each star of the monster I discarded! Since I discarded a level 8 monster…" began Black Joker.

"Your card gains 2400 attack points" completed Joey.

"Hmm, so you can be taught" insulted the joker. Marcellus' attack power raised to 5600. "Go mighty Marcellus! Destroy his pathetic swordsman!" commanded Black Joker as Marcellus dashed towards the swordsman.

"Hold up!" called Joey. "I'm using a trap card, Compensation of Arbitration! This lets you pick 2 magic or trap cards from your graveyard and put them on the field along with this one. That's where things get interesting" Joey explained as Black Joker pulled Card of Sanctity and Selection of the Dead from his graveyard. Joey threw him the trap card and Black Joker set it on the field. Marcellus temporarily disappeared.

"Pick one" an impatient Black Joker demanded.

"Ok" Joey sighed, knowing the duel could end right here if he guessed incorrectly. "I'll choose the one…on the right" he pointed at his choice. Black Joker revealed the card to be Compensation of Arbitration.

"Damn" Black Joker muttered.

"Alright Joey!" cheered Yugi from the sidelines.

"It's a brand new ball game!" declared Joey as he drew. "I'll set one card face down and then activate Gathering of the Landstars! This allows me to special summon Landstar Freedom Fighter (1000/?), Landstar Gunman (900/1200), and Swordsman of Landstar (500/1200).

"That's not impressive. It's just a bunch of mini monsters" said Ace of Spades.

"Yeah, and you're a mini freak, but I didn't say anything" countered Joey. Ace of Spades chuckled lightly at the comment.

"Last time I checked, I was the opponent, not him, so worry about me and this spell! Power Equivalence!" Black Joker stopped the argument. "Because you summoned more than one monster during this turn, I can control one of them, so come to me Landstar Freedom Fighter!" announced Black Joker as a mystic force possessed the freedom fighter, dragging him to Black Joker's side of the field.

"Then, I can use this card, Mental Bedlam!" he chained as psychic waves engulfed the arena. "All monsters with less than 1000 attack points belong to me!" he added slyly as the psychic waves forced the other two Landstars to float to Black Joker's field as well. Joey seemed unfazed by the combo.

"I end my turn" he proudly stated.

Black Joker drew. "Then it's my move. First, I rid the field of your Swordsman of Landstar to summon Shadow Ninja (2300/2600)! I think I did you a favor" he commented as a robotic ninja dressed in camouflage black appeared on the field, armed with shuriken.

"Shadow Ninja, attack the Flame Swordsman!" demanded Black Joker as the ninja thrust shuriken into Flame Swordsman's abdomen before he exploded. (**J: 1400**) "Now since my ninja sliced up a non-dark attribute monster, it's attack points increase by 200. (2500/2600)

"Now my two Landstars, finish your former master off!" added Black Joker as the two possessed Landstars ran to Joey. A pale white barrier, however, cut them off.

"How come my monster's attacks were negated?" Black Joker questioned.

"Easy" smiled Joey. "My trap, Soul Shield, allowed me to give up half of my life points to negate the attack" (**J: 700**).

"Do what you want. Nothing will save you in the end" predicted Black Joker.

Joey wasn't about to listen to his talk. He was determined to win. He closed his eyes and placed his hand on the top card of his deck. There was one monster in his deck that could cut him a path to victory. He just needed to draw it. He slowly grabbed the card and looked at it. Faith had come through.

"Get ready because this duel's about to take another dramatic twist! Behold the card, Magnetic Intensity! It lets me special summon any rock or machine card that I have! The card I choose to play is my Android Psycho Shocker!" He explained as the android burst from the card, folded its arms and glanced over the field.

"No…" Black Joker whimpered, knowing what this signaled.

"Oh yeah! Now your Mental Bedlam trap is no longer effective, letting both of my Landstars come back to my field" added Joey as his android sent two red energy beams at the trap, detonating it.

"My monster still is more powerful than yours!" Black Joker checked his last hope.

"Not anymore. I've got the perfect weapon for your monster! Are you ready folks, because here we go! I sacrifice all 3 of my monsters so that I can bring out the ultimate fighting machine!" Joey slapped the card onto the duel disk. The atmosphere altered dramatically to signal the arrival of the monster. The winds picked up in speed, lightning flashed nearby until a single, powerful bolt hit the arena itself. From inside the lightning, a figure could be made out. It seemed both strong and powerful. The lightning dispersed quickly, and a warrior in a light blue and red outfit was on the field. Its phase was covered by a mask and it had a sword sheathed on its back. It roared into the distance.

"Can it be…" disbelieved the joker.

"Meet my pal, Guilford the Lightning (2800/1400)! Next, his special ability kicks in! Since I offered 3 monsters to bring him out, he destroys all of your monsters!" enlightened Joey as Guilford unsheathed the sword, slamming it on the ground and destroying Shadow Ninja with a lightning bolt.

"Guilford the Lightning, attack his life points directly!" Joey instructed. The monster brought its sword into battle, vertically striking Black Joker, knocking him back a bit. (**BJ: 100**)

Black Joker struggled a bit to get back on his feet. "Alright" he said, a different determination in his voice. "That was child's play. This duel really begins now" he told.

"I'm ready for you. Anything you throw at me, I'll take" replied Joey, knowing he was so close to victory.

"Or so you think…" stated Black Joker, thinking of how easily he would defeat Joey. "Or so you think…"

* * *

**CARDS PLAYED**

Zombie Swordsman: Level 3/ 1200/900/ Warrior Type

Alligator's Sword: Level 4/ 1500/1200/ Reptile Type

Zombie Archer: Level 4/ 1200/1800/ Warrior Type

Little Winguard: Level 4/ 1400/1800/Warrior Type/Desc: Once, during the End Phase of a turn, you may change the battle position of this card.

Zolworm: Level 5/1700/1200/ Aqua Type/Desc: When this card is sent to the graveyard as a result of battle, select two of your opponent's monsters on the field. Whenever you wish, during your turn, you may tribute these (or one of these) monsters instead of your own.

Marcellus, Lv. 1: Level 6/2100/2250/ Undead Type/Desc: During the End Phase in a turn in which this monster inflicts battle damage to your opponent's life points, you may sacrifice this monster to special summon Marcellus, Lv. 2 from your hand, deck, or graveyard to the field.

Marcellus, Lv. 2: Level 7/ 2600/2400/ Undead Type/Desc: During the Main Phase, you may offer this monster as a tribute along with another monster to special summon Marcellus, Lv. 3

Battle Warrior: Level 3/700/1000/ Warrior Type

Ninja: Level 4/ 1100/1400/ Machine Type/ Desc: This card's attack power increases by 500 for each "Shadow Ninja" on the field.

Silver Dollar: TRAP/Desc: Negate an attack from a monster whose target has attack points equal or lower than 1000 points.

Android Psycho Shocker: Level 6/ 2400/1500/ Machine Type/Desc: As long as this card remains face-up on the field, trap cards cannot be activated. The effects of face-up trap cards are also negated.

Red Knight: Level 4/ 1200/1000/ Undead Type/ Desc: This card's attack power is increased by 500 for each "Blue Knight" on the field.

Marcellus, Lv. 3: Level 8/ 3200/3500/ Undead Type/Desc: This card may only be special summoned by the effect of "Marcellus, Lv. 2". You may discard 2 cards from your hand to destroy all of your opponent's monster cards with an attack lower than the attack of this card. The difference in the monster's attack points is subtracted from your life points as battle damage.

Attack Interceptor: QUICK-PLAY MAGIC/Desc: This card may only be activated when your opponent declares an attack. Special summon one monster from your hand in defense mode. That monster becomes the new target of the attack.

Soul Raid: TRAP/Desc: Select one monster in your graveyard. Gain life points equal to the monster's attack. Remove the monster from the game afterwards.

Blue Flame Swordsman: Level 4/ 1800/1600/ Warrior Type/ Desc: When this card is sent to the graveyard as a result of battle, special summon one "Flame Swordsman" from your hand, deck, or fusion deck.

Flame Swordsman: Level 5/ 1800/1600/ Warrior/Fusion Type/ Desc: "Masaki the Legendary Swordsman" "Flame Manipulator"

Kijocky: Level 4/ 1500/1200/ Warrior Type

Burning Soul Sword: EQUIP MAGIC/Desc: Sacrifice one monster on your side of the field. Increase one monster's attack points by an amount equal to the number of attack points the sacrificed monster has for one turn only.

Selection of the Dead: TRAP/Desc: Remove from play 2 monsters from your graveyard. Special summon one monster from your graveyard.

Card of Sanctity: MAGIC/Desc: Both players draw from their respective decks until they both hold 6 cards in their hands.

Legendary Evolution: EQUIP MAGIC/Desc: Discard one monster from your hand. Until the End Phase in which this card is activated, increase one monster's attack points equal to the level of the monster discarded x300.

Compensation of Arbitration: TRAP/Desc: When this card is activated, your opponent selects two magic or trap cards from his or her graveyard. This card is then given to the opponent. All 3 cards are placed face-down on the field. This card's owner then guesses a card. If that card is Compensation of Arbitration, the battle phase is ended immediately. If not, the effect of this card is negated.

Gathering of the Landstars: MAGIC/Desc: Special summon all monsters with 'Landstar' in their name from your hand to the field.

Swordsman of Landstar: Level 3/ 500/1200/ Warrior Type

Landstar Freedom Fighter: Level 3/ 1000/ ?/ Warrior Type

Landstar Gunman: Level 3/ 900/1200/ Warrior Type

Power Equivalence: CONTINIOUS TRAP/Desc: This card may only be activated in which your opponent has summoned (normal, flip, or special) more than one monster. Select one monster on your opponent's side of the field. As long as this card remains face-up on the field, you control the monster.

Mental Bedlam: CONTINIOUS TRAP/Desc: Whenever you gain control of one of your opponent's monsters, you may activate this card. All face-up monsters with an attack lower than the monster you control on your opponent's side of the field become under your control.

Shadow Ninja: Level 6/ 2300/2700/ Machine Type/Desc: Whenever this card destroys a non-DARK attribute monster, increase the attack of this card by 200 points.

Soul Shield: TRAP/Desc: Pay half of your life points. Negate all direct attacks on your life points for this turn.

Magnetic Intensity: MAGIC/Desc: Special summon one rock or machine-type monster from your hand, deck, or graveyard to the field.

Guilford the Lightning: Level 8/ 2800/1400/ Warrior Type/Desc: If you tribute Summon this monster by offering 3 monsters on the field as a Tribute, destroy all monsters on your opponent's side of the field.


	38. Demonic Assault, Part 2

**Disclaimer: **See Chapter 37 for details

**Chapter 38: Demonic Assault, Part 2**

The score was Black Joker: 100 to Joey: 700. Joey completely had control of the field with his Guilford the Lightning, the only monster in play. Black Joker had one set magic or trap on the field, while Joey had none. Guilford had just reduced Black Joker's life points dramatically, and the joker stumbled to maintain a steady balance. When he did, the first thing he did was activate his set card.

"Reveal trap, Beacon of Hope! This card allows me to summon any monster from my deck to the field with less attack points than your Guilford" he explained as he shuffled through his deck until he found the perfect monster, which he slapped on the duel disk. "The monster I choose to summon is my Primordial Slime (2000/1850)" he announced as his monster appeared. Several chrome droplets formed together until they took the shape of a chrome-Revival Jam. The monster wiggled in place.

"What is that?" a disgusted Joey questioned.

"A monster that will bring me one step closer to victory and you one step closer to defeat. Now hurry up and end your turn!" demanded the Black Joker.

"Fine. There's nothing else I can do, so I'll end my turn," responded Joey.

"About time" Black Joker hissed whilst he drew. "I'll set a monster in defense mode and set two cards face-down. Why don't you attack my monster Joey? I'm sure your Guilford with 2800 attack points can easily destroy this card!" he coaxed.

"That's probably the worst baiting attempt I've ever seen" dully replied Joey.

"Suit yourself, but remember, every turn you do nothing, it doesn't bring you closer to victory, so why don't you take a chance Joey. You're known for taking risks" Black Joker poorly continued his coaxing spree.

"We'll see" Joey ended the discussion. He drew his card. "Alright, I'm setting Baby Dragon (1200/700) on the field in defense mode! Now, Guilford the Lightning, attack his Primordial Slime!" commanded Joey as his monster charged his sword full of electricity and ran up to attack the slime.

"Reverse trap card!" cut off Black Joker. "Silent Wall! This trap will nullify your Guilford's attack while providing me with 1400 more life points" he explained as a trio of magicians formed on the field, encircling Guilford in a ring of magic, negating his attack. (**BJ: 1500**)

Joey growled a bit, knowing he was at a minor setback. "That's all for now" he snapped as Black Joker chuckled.

Black Joker snatched a card from his deck holster. He was surprised by what he had drawn. "This card could clench the match for me if used properly. But too bad I've got no way to summon it. I'll just have to hope the cards I need come soon. Joey here's not too bad of a duelist," he pondered, studying the field and his hand several times.

"Make your move already!" demanded Joey.

"I'll pass this turn," replied the joker.

"I wonder what card he drew. I have a feeling it's a powerful card, Black Joker's known for stalling to figure out top-notch strategies," pointed out Miranda on the sidelines.

"Yes, I get that same feeling" Yugi responded.

* * *

"My move" declared Joey as he drew his next card. His card wasn't too powerful, but it was more powerful than Baby Dragon. He decided to play it. "I'm sacrificing Baby Dragon to bring out The Legendary Fisherman (1850/1600)" he proclaimed as his tiny, orange dragon was replaced by a muscular fisherman with frizzy, blue hair riding on a skinny, sleek blue orca whale. The fisherman's weapon of choice was a sharp bladed harpoon.

"Joey's a bigger fool than I imagined if he thinks Black Joker's going down this easily" Ace of Spades thought.

"Now let's try this again! Guilford the Lightning, attack his Primordial Slime!" Joey said. Guilford obeyed and charged his sword up again, this time, successfully slicing the slime in several pieces, which were scattered about the battlefield. (**BJ: 700**) However, to Joey's astonishment, the scattered remains fused back together. The slime glowed a vibrant white light. When the light died down, there were _two _Primordial Slimes instead of one. Joey scanned the field. No traps had been activated, so what could have been going on??

"Surprised, Joey? I would be too. You see, my Primordial Slime also carries with it a special ability. First, any time you destroy it, it instantly returns to the field in attack mode. Next, whenever it returns to the field, it allows me to bring out _another _Primordial Slime. And finally, each time it returns to the field from the graveyard, Primordial Slime's attack power increases by 500!" Black Joker explained as his first slime's attack points rose to 2500.

"Oh no!" Yugi gasped. "Joey's got himself in a tight spot. And if he attacks again, his Guilford the Lightning will be overwhelmed. But that's exactly where Black Joker's problem is. The only way his monster can come back is if Joey attacks it" he told his friends. "Joey! Try to use a magic or trap card to destroy the slimes! Attacking won't work" he announced to his friend.

"Looks like Wheeler's still relying on backseat dueling" Kaiba told Mokuba.

"Oh. Good call Yugi" Joey realized.

Black Joker drew. "I'll set a card face down on the field and end my turn" he declared. "Come on Joey, do something stupid again. This time, however, the consequences will be much more worse."

Joey drew. "What's this guy up to? That facedown monster must be significant in his plans, but I've got bigger problems with these two slime things. If I attack, they come back stronger and bring another one with them? But that gives me an idea. He still lost life points when I attacked before, so if I can attack the weaker one and destroy it, he'll lose anyway. I just hope he can't stop my attack" he deliberated attacking, but decided to. He just might win. "Guilford the Lightning!" he announced.

"That's it" thought Black Joker.

"Attack his weaker Primordial Slime! Lightning Blade!" Joey finished his command as his monster once again lit his sword up with electricity and dashed up to the slime.

"Activate trap card! Shift! Now I'll transfer your attack to my face-down monster!" Black Joker cut off the attack as the Primordial Slime was replaced with the facedown card. Guilford sliced the card in half, revealing a tiny, sparkling fairy in a golden gown. The fairy was instantly destroyed.

Miranda growled, knowing what this meant. "Miranda, something wrong?" Yugi noticed her change in behavior.

"Nothing too serious, except Joey picked a bad card to destroy. See, when it's sent to the graveyard, Fairy of Last Hope allows Black Joker to sacrifice one monster to summon any monster in his hand that he wants" pointed out Miranda. Yugi sighed heavily upon hearing her response.

"Now my Fairy of Last Hope's power activates! I can sacrifice the weaker Primordial Slime to summon my Invisible Soldier (2500/2500)!" he explained as the slime burst to be replaced by a monster only visible by the hairlines that outlined its body. It also carried with it a jagged edged sword capable of damaging countless enemies.

"Great" Joey thought to himself. "I guess I'll end my turn" he finished his turn.

"Fine by me. I draw" announced Black Joker. "I'll let you figure out my card's special abilities on your own" he slammed one card in the duel disk. "I set a card face down and end my turn. Back to you, Joey."

* * *

"This duel's quite a bore. I wish someone would do something exciting again" contemplated Ace of Spades.

"I'm not giving up" spoke Joey as he drew. "Let's go Guilford! Attack and destroy the Invisible Soldier!" once again spoke Joey. For the fourth time, Guilford charged up his sword and brought it before Invisible Soldier, only to have Invisible Soldier surrounded by a magical barrier, negating the attack. Black Joker's life points also increased instead of decreased. (**BJ: 1950**)

Joey had a confused look on his face. "Since you seem stunned, I'll take the liberty of filling you in. My magic card, Holy Water, has increased my life points by half of the attack points of Invisible Soldier and negating your Guilford's attack as well. Pretty nifty card eh?" Black Joker chortled as Joey growled. He hit another roadblock. Guilford wasn't helping out nearly as much as Joey had planned.

"I set one card face down on the field and end my move" Joey declared.

"I think I'll make this duel a little more interesting" announced the joker. He drew. "Primordial Slime, attack Guilford the Lightning now!" he demanded.

"What?" protested Joey. "Your monster's about to be destroyed! The first rule in Duel Monsters is that the monster with the lower attack points loses? What are you thinking?"

"A lot more than you are" snapped Black Joker. "Remember, Primordial Slime will be destroyed in battle, allowing me to bring it back AND raise its attack power to 3000! Seems like I'm always one step ahead of you" he protested as the slime began to wrap around Guilford, nearly swallowing him.

"Really? Well, I'd think again because this trap can stop that from happening! Reveal trap, Vow of the Family! Since we both control 2 monsters, your attack becomes null and void!" happily elucidated Joey as he had finally pulled out a trick himself.

"Well Joey, I assure you that move was coincidental and lucky. It won't happen again. But for now, I'm forced to end my turn" Black Joker stated coolly.

"Fine by me" Joey snatched his next card. "Hmm…what to do this turn. Luckily, I still have the strongest card on the field, my Guilford the Lightning. But if I attack that Primordial Slime, it will just come back and destroy me next turn. My only shot is to go for that Invisible Soldier, but does it have any special ability?" he wondered until Yugi interrupted his thoughts.

"Joey, this is a great time to attack! He has no set cards on the field!" pointed out Yugi, reawakening Joey's senses.

"If he got this far, I'm sure he can duel for himself!" angrily retorted Ace of Spades, fed up with all of this backseat dueling. The entire gang stopped to stare at him, and he just glared back. There was a brief silence between the two parties broken only by a command from Joey.

"Oh yeah! Guilford the Lightning, slice and dice that Invisible Soldier!" Joey commanded as his monster once again had his sword light up with electricity and charged at the outline of Black Joker's invisible creature. However, Guilford soon became confused! It was as if the monster had disappeared all together! Guilford then returned to his post. In a chain reaction, the Invisible Soldier reappeared and solified, revealing a devious, translucent creature.

"I don't get it? Why isn't your monster one for the graveyard?" Joey speculated. It didn't seem to make any sense.

"Let me put it to you this way, I pay 1000 life points, my monster evades your attack!" smiled the Black Joker, in unison with his Invisible Soldier. Joey set a card on the field. "And that concludes your turn." Black Joker drew. (**BJ: 950**)

"I set another card on the field. And just so you won't pull another Vow of the Family on me, Invisible Soldier attack the Legendary Fisherman!" commanded Black Joker. His soldier once again vanished, reappearing right behind the fisherman, stabbing him in the back before he shattered. The soldier then floated back over to Black Joker's field but not before flashing Joey a wicked grin. (**J: 50**)

Joey drew once again. He was only 50 life points away before being defeated, something he didn't want to happen. Not only would he lose his spot in the finals, but also as Yugi said before, he has no idea what these people may do to him. He remembered that time a while back when Malik trapped Mai in the Shadow Realm. It was awful just thinking about it. He didn't want it to happen to anyone again, especially himself.

He looked at his card. It was Tiger Axe, not a relatively strong monster, but any monster could be used to defend his monster. "I set a card face down" Joey began "and set one magic or trap on the field. That ends my turn this time around" he finished, knowing he couldn't risk triggering the trap Black Joker had for he was close to being finished.

Black Joker drew. "There's nothing you can do" he taunted. "But there is plenty for me to do! Like discarding two monsters from my hand to bring forth my Death Wasp (800/1100)!" he explained as a burnt orange wasp materialized on the field, and briefly glowed orange. It seemed to multiply itself, one glowing blue, and another wasp glowing green. The light died down to reveal indeed, three wasps.

"Like my little magic trick?" Black Joker questioned. "Since I special summoned my Death Wasp, two others are joined along side it. Next up, I'll use this powerful little magic card, known as the Dark Designator!" he declared.

"Oh no!" Yugi protested on the sidelines.

"What's wrong Yugi. Is that card powerful?" Anzu asked.

"Not necessarily, but the way it's been used here it can be. Black Joker can still summon a monster to the field and I think he's summoned those wasps so he can sacrifice them for a high-powered monster from _Joey's _deck. See, the card he just used allows him to name one card. If that monster is in Joey's deck, it gets added to Joey's hand." Yugi explained the card. Anzu seemed discouraged at first, but then noticed an important factor.

"Wait, the card will be in Joey's hand, so how can Black Joker use it?" she argued her case.

"Just watch" was Yugi's solemn reply.

* * *

"Go on and name something!" Joey impatiently demanded.

"Fine then, but since I carefully analyzed your deck before this duel, I know nearly every card in it! So, the card I have chosen to fulfill my magic card's power is your Insect Queen! Cough it up!" Black Joker already knew the card laid dormant in Joey's deck. Joey's deck holster spit out the card for him to take, which he did and placed it within his hand.

"Then, I'll use this magic card too!" he announced as the card flipped up. "Pillager!" Joey instantly remembered that card. How could he forget?

-------- FLASHBACK -------------

"I'm using the Pillager! This card lets me look at your hand and take one card from it, so lay them down!" Bandit Keith stated as his magic card took effect. He studied Joey's hand, noticing a particular card in the middle. "Hey, I think I'll take this card!" he tapped it on his screen and the card was transferred to Bandit Keith's side of the arena. He snatched it up from the distributor in and slammed it onto the field. "Go! Shield and Sword! Swap attack points with defense points" he said as Slot Machine's stats swapped to 3000/3400 while Red Eyes Black Metal Dragon was 2400/3400. "Attack!" demanded Keith. The machine fired missiles at the dragon and a huge wave of smoke engulfed the arena. The smoke died down to see Joey still with 450 life points and a little demon holding a Time Machine card in his hand.

Bandit Keith couldn't believe it. His own trap was used against him, resurrecting Red Eyes Black Metal Dragon at full strength: 3400/3000. The dragon counterattacked and won the duel, barely.

-------- END FLASHBACK --------

That one magic card nearly cost Joey the duel, and his spot in the finals. If Bandit Keith hadn't have played his own trap, Joey would have lost. And now the same card was coming back to haunt him.

"I'll take that Insect Queen" Black Joker cunningly said.

"Catch" Joey said as he threw it at him, which he caught easily.

"Now I'll sacrifice my Invisible Soldier and one of my three wasps to bring out your Insect Queen!" Black Joker declared as he slapped the card on the field. Instantly the two monsters were offered up and the Insect Queen card materialized on the field. The card swirled briefly and two long, thorny indigo legs burst from the card, signaling the presence of the queen. Her large head and thorax-followed suit complete with her red-shelled abdomen. She screeched when she had completely come out of the card. (2200/2400)

"That makes no sense" instantly thought Joey. "He sacrifices a stronger monster to bring out a weaker—oh wait a minute" he remembered her special ability, gaining 200 attack points for each insect on the field. Now she was equal to Guilford in attack strength.

"Now, since my monster can't beat yours, I'll set a card face down and let you continue things from here" he pointed at Joey.

"Don't worry, I won't disappoint" sarcastically countered Joey. "If I don't attack now, I might not get the chance later, I've got one way to increase Guilford's strength, but it will only work for one turn. Come on Lady Luck, be on my side today" he silently and quickly prayed before activating the card. "I'm using this magic card, Riryoku Blade! This card sends electricity coursing through Guilford's veins, powering him up 500 points!" Joey explained as his monster's stats shot up (3300/1900).

"That's it stupid. Just one more word out of your mouth and that'll be curtains for Guilford" Black Joker carefully thought out Joey's soon-to-be mistake.

"Guilford the Lightning, attack the Insect Queen with Thunder Blade Strike!" instructed Joey as his monster received a dramatic lightning bolt striking his sword, much more powerful than the ones before. He charged full-speed at the Insect Queen.

"And that's the end of this monster! Miracle of Fallen Spirit, activate!" sprang Black Joker as a column of fire instantly swirled around Guilford. The heat was too intense for the monster and he was finally banished to the graveyard.

Joey growled, knowing his best card had been defeated. "Relax" came Black Joker, "look on the bright side. You get to gain 2800 life points, so it's not a complete drawback" he announced as Joey's life points skyrocketed (**J: 2850**)

"All I can do now is hope that this card can do some damage" a depressed Joey thought out. "I place one card in defense mode and end my turn" he said, with an obvious lack of enthusiasm.

* * *

"Be strong Joey!" encouraged Yugi. Joey smiled in response.

"What's there to be happy about?" Black Joker snapped. Joey turned to face him. Black Joker drew, eyes still staring at Joey's. "I think it's time to unleash a creature that will help me consume your soul! Are you ready Joey? It doesn't matter! For now I use this magic card, Liberation of Insect Goddess! This allows me to sacrifice Insect Queen and another insect to bring forth the most powerful Insect being ever! I offer up Insect Queen and one Death Wasp to play this! Insect Goddess, Hecuba, arise!" he slapped the monster on the field.

The winds picked up in speed drastically, and a vortex appeared on the field. Insect Queen and a Death Wasp were lost within it, their souls offered to the goddess. She accepted the offering and emerged from the vortex unfolding her wings. Her wings completely filled up Black Joker's side of the field. The goddess' skin was a dusty yellow color with at least 30 eyes (you know how insect vision works). She had 6 legs, even though she only used 2. Her other 4 were folded before her for quick use if she needed. Her arms had poisonous sharp pincers on them, ready to strike and poison any foes. Her stats were shown at 3400/3700.

"That's one…big…bug" Joey stumbled through his sentence.

* * *

"Joey! Be careful!" Yugi cried out.

"Yeah! Stay strong man!" cheered Tristan

"Just believe and you can defeat him!" added Miranda.

"Believe what you want, fools, nothing can save him now. Even though this isn't the best Black Joker's got, it's pretty good" Ace of Spades commentated to himself on the sidelines.

"Pretty powerful card he's got there. I wonder what else I can strip him of when I defeat him in a duel" Kaiba greedily conjured up.

"So Joey, what will you do now? I've got you cornered, staring down one of the most powerful cards in all of Duel Monsters. Face it, even if you had every card in your deck in your hand you couldn't defeat me! You're about to lose!" Black Joker yelled.

"There's no way I'll loose to a creep like you! I've got real reasons for fighting and with them, my friends, and my deck fighting beside me there's no way I can lose this duel" Joey retorted.

"Well, if you think that your deck is so "powerful" then why don't you show some of that power?" Black Joker replied.

"Don't worry. I will" Joey said, with new determination in his voice.

* * *

CARDS PLAYED 

Beacon of Hope: TRAP/Desc: You may only activate this card when there are no monsters on your side of the field. Special summon one monster from your deck to the field in face-up attack position. The monster's attack points must be equal to or lower than all of your opponent's face-up monsters attack points.

Primordial Slime: Level 6/ 2000/1850/ Aqua Type/Desc: When this card is sent to the graveyard as a result of battle, it is immediately special summoned back to the field in face-up attack position. At that time, increase this card's attack power by 500 points. When this card is special summoned from the graveyard, you may special summon another "Primordial Slime" from your hand or deck to the field (in any position).

Baby Dragon: Level 3/ 1200/700/ Dragon Type

Silent Wall: TRAP/Desc: When your opponent attacks, negate the attack and increase your life points by an amount equal to half of the attacking monster's attack points.

Legendary Fisherman: Level 5/ 1850/1600/ Warrior Type/Desc: When "Umi" is face-up on the Field, this card is unaffected by any Magic Cards and cannot be attacked by your opponent's monsters.

Shift: TRAP/Desc: You can activate this card when your opponent designates 1 monster on your side of the Field as the target of a Magic, Trap, or battle attack. Change the target to a different monster on your side of the Field.

Fairy of Last Hope: Level 2/ 500/500/ Fairy Type/Desc: When this card is sent to the graveyard as a result of battle, you may sacrifice one monster on your side of the field. Special summon one monster from your hand.

Invisible Soldier: Level 7/ 2500/2500/ Spellcaster/Desc: When this card is designated as the target of an attack, you may pay 1000 life points to negate the attack.

Holy Water: QUICK-PLAY MAGIC/Desc: Select one monster on your side of the field. Increase your life points by half of that monster's attack points. Select a monster on the field. Any attack made by that monster during the turn in which this card is activated is negated.

Vow of Brothers: TRAP/Desc: During this turn, if both players control the same number of monsters, neither player can conduct a battle phase.

Death Wasp: Level 4/ 800/1100/ Insect/Desc: This card may be special summoned from your hand by discarding 2 monster cards from your hand. When this card is special summoned, you may special summon up to 2 more "Death Wasps" from your deck to the field in face-up defense position.

Dark Designator: MAGIC/Desc: Declare 1 Monster Card name. If the declared card is in your opponent's Deck, add 1 of that card to your opponent's hand.

Pillager: MAGIC/Desc: Look at your opponent's hand and take one card from their hand and add it to yours.

Insect Queen: Level 7/ 2200/2400/ Insect/Desc: This card cannot attack unless you offer 1 of your monsters on the field as a Tribute. Increase this Monster's attack strength by 200 for each Insect-Type Monster on the Field. When this card destroys an enemy monster, you can place an "Insect Monster Token" (Face-up Attack position/Insect-Type/Earth/1 Star/ATK 100/DEF 100) on the field at the end of your turn.

Riryoku Blade: EQUIPMENT MAGIC/Desc: This card may only be equipped to "Guilford the Lightning." Increase "Guilford the Lightning's" attack power by 500 points until the End Phase in which this card is activated.

Miracle of Fallen Spirit: TRAP/Desc: When your opponent attacks, destroy the attacking monster. Your opponent gains life points equal to the original attack of the monster that was destroyed by this trap card.

Liberation of Insect Goddess: RITUAL MAGIC/Desc: Sacrifice one "Insect Queen" and a second insect monster on your side of the field. Special summon one "Insect Goddess- Hecuba" from your hand or deck to the field.

Insect Goddess-Hecuba: Level 9/ 3400/3700/ Insect/Desc: This card may only be special summoned by the effect of "Liberation of Insect Goddess." This monster's attack power increases by 500 for every insect monster on the field (excluding this card). Increase the attack power of every insect monster on your side of the field by 500 points. When this card is chosen as the target of a monster effect, magic card, or trap card, you may decrease this monster's defense points to make this card immune to the effect (excluding during this card's controller's battle phase).


	39. Demonic Assault, Part 3

Disclaimer: See Chapter 38 for details

**Chapter 39: Demonic Assault, Part 3**

The score was: Black Joker: 950, Joey: 2850. However, despite a lead in life points, he was down by field terms. Black Joker had just summoned one of his strongest creatures, Insect Goddess- Hecuba, whose base attack was a whopping 3400 points.

* * *

"I'm not quite finished yet! Now I summon Insect Soldiers of the Sky (1000/1000)! Then I'll follow up by activating the magic card Cell Division!" Black Joker announced as his tiny orange insect was cloned. "Now I've got two and my goddess' special ability kicks in! First, for each Insect on the field she gains 500 attack points" he started as his goddess' power rose to 4400. "Then, she increases the attack of every insect on my field by 500 points" he completed his explanation, just in time for both Insects Soldiers of the Sky's attack power to rise to 1500.

"Let's go Hecuba! Attack his face-down card!" Black Joker pointed at the target. Hecuba responded by diving down and closing in for the kill when Joey interrupted the attack.

"I'm activating my trap card, Double Magic Arm Shield! This lets me sacrifice both of my face down cards to take control of two of your monsters!" Joey explained with renewed confidence. Both of his monsters morphed into tongs, which stretched out to snatch both Insect Soldiers of the Sky and the goddess of insects. The first tong easily captured the unsuspecting insect of the sky. The second tong, however, would face some problems.

"I'll take this opportunity to reveal another ability of my insect goddess! As soon as I deduct her defense power by 1000 points, she becomes immune to your trap! So I'll do that now, forcing you to take another weak monster for your trap. And you were so close too" he mocked as Hecuba's defense lowered to 2700, but an anti-magical barrier surrounded the creature, deflecting the tong to imprison the second weak insect. The tongs retracted to bring Joey's newest monsters to his side of the field. Black Joker snickered as he had thwarted another plot of Joey's.

"Oh well" reassured Joey. "I still took control of two of your monsters, leaving you with only one!"

"But two restrictions make all the difference, fool. First, since the two Insect Soldiers of the Sky are no longer under my control, they are no longer powered up under my Insect Goddess, so I'll take my attack points back!" Black Joker declared as both monsters' attack points were once again reduced to 1000.

Joey growled. "Man, I completely forgot about that! That's just one more thing I don't need happening," he thought.

"Don't think that's the worst of it! Your monsters are still in attack mode, meaning I can attack, destroy a monster, and wipe you out of the duel all in one move! I'm fixing to end this! Hecuba, attack his Insect Soldier on the right!" called Black Joker as his monster dove down and ripped the defending insect to pieces.

"And that concludes…" Black Joker assumed, until he checked the score. Joey's life points had decreased severely, but he wasn't at 0 yet. Instead, his life points were a mere 450. "What's going on? You should be finished by now and prepare for your "reward." He asked.

"Heh, looks like you forgot how your own card works! Didn't anyone tell you Insect Soldier of the Sky gains 1000 attack points when it battles a wind monster? So that jumped my card up to 2000 attack points, enough to keep me in the game!" Joey protested. "That, was something I actually learned from that bug-freak Weevil Underwood.

"Be that as it may, due to the rules of your Double Magic Arm Shield trap, you can't change the position of your monster, so no matter how many points it gains it still is helpless when compared with my goddess! Now, take your next turn" the Joker ended his speech with the demand to Joey while he set another magic or trap card on the field face down.

"Yeah, I might not get to but it in defense mode, but if I get a high level monster, I can still tribute it" Joey drew his next card. He looked over his hand, nothing too special, only Time Wizard, Kunai with Chain, Masaki the Legendary Swordsman, Giant Trunade, and Skull Dice. "Alright, this magic card I just drew can help out, but first…" he slapped a card on the field. "I'll set a card face down and then activate Coins from the Stars!" he announced.

"Coins from the Stars…never heard of that card" Black Joker thought.

* * *

"Yugi, what does that card do?" Anzu questioned.

"Well, Anzu, this card allows Joey to give his entire hand to Black Joker. Then, Joey gets to draw from his deck the same number of cards he gave to him" replied Yugi.

"Wait! That means Joey could be giving him some good cards!" she worriedly responded.

"Actually, I don't think Black Joker will be getting anything useful. Notice how Joey set a card on the field BEFORE activating the magic card. That set card must have been the only card in Joey's hand worth keeping, so while Joey gets 4 new cards, Black Joker won't really gain a thing" he smiled as he informed his friend.

* * *

Joey walked over, handing his hand (haha) to Black Joker. He took it as Joey drew 4 cards while walking back to his field. "That card must have been something Wheeler wanted to save, otherwise he never would've played it. Ooh, but what's this? Giant Trunade? Thanks, Joey, I always knew you were a fool" cleverly thought the joker.

"Now I activate the magic card" Joey cut off his thoughts "Mind Reader! Using this baby lets me guess any card I want. If that card is in your hand, then your entire hand goes to the graveyard!" he explained.

"Oh, damn! Since Wheeler just gave me his hand, he knows exactly what cards I have in my hand" Black Joker realized.

"The card I choose is Kunai with Chain, meaning that your hand instantly goes to the graveyard!" Joey called as the Black Joker shoved all 7 cards into his graveyard slot.

"Next order of business is to sacrifice Insect Soldiers of the Sky, so I can summon my Fiend Megacyber (2200/1200)!" Joey slapped his new monster on the field. The Insect Soldier was dragged down into the depths of the graveyard to be replaced with a bulky warrior with gold and purple armor covering every square inch of his body. His face was shaded by armor on both sides of his head. He also held no weapons.

"What's Joey doing? Doesn't he know that insect thing will wipe him out" Tristan cried on the sidelines.

"Yeah! Joey! Switch your card to defense mode, hurry!" Tea pleaded.

"Hold on" Yugi placed his hand before Tea. "Joey knows what he's doing"

"True" Miranda added. "Remember, Joey still has a card face down on the field. That card must be a trap intended to be activated when Black Joker declares an attack. Black Joker isn't a fool. He wouldn't walk into such an obvious ploy" she continued.

"Miranda's right, but I'm not so sure about Joey's move. He has no idea what card Black Joker could draw, and none of us know anything about his style of play. Let's hope Black Joker doesn't draw the card he needs" Yugi began a conversation with his aibou.

"The fool thinks I'll attack, overlooking his face down trap and trigger it" Black Joker swiftly drew his newest card. It was the only card in his hand…perfect. "Looks like I'm more loved than you! I activate the magic card, Charity Case!" he slapped the card into his duel disk. Rays of light emitted from the duel disk.

"I told him not to help Wheeler out" Ace of Spades spat.

Joey covered his eyes from the light, but still managed to speak. "What does this card do?" The light then faded. Joey opened his eyes to notice a black die with white dots, landing on a 6.

"Well, since my die landed on a 6 we both are allowed to draw 6 cards" he explained, rapidly snatching 6 cards from his deck, replenishing his hand. Joey drew his 6 as well.

"Now that that's over with, I'll set one card face down on the field and summon Big Shield Guardna (100/2600) in defense mode!" Black Joker threw a clever grin on his face as his warrior materialized on the field. The warrior knelt, becoming invisible behind his large brown shield, covering his entire body.

Joey drew. "My Fiend Megacyber can't beat either of his monsters, but when I combine it with these cards it will" he planned out his play. "Get ready buddy, because my next combo will wipe you out!"

Yugi instantly responded to himself. "Joey's making a really risky play with this. He shouldn't be so brash."

"Hmm. Maybe Wheeler might win" Kaiba said.

Ace of Spades sighed. "Joey here's like a vulture to a carcass. He just can't resist attacking"

* * *

"Now I summon my Axe Raider (1700/1150) to the field in attack mode!" Joey's new monster in yellow armor sprang to the field, wielding an ax. "Then I'll activate a magic card, Strength Teleporter, allowing me to discard one card from my hand to sacrifice Axe Raider and add 1700 attack points to Fiend Megacyber!" he explained as Axe Raider transformed into energy in the shape of armor. The armor then attached to Fiend Megacyber, raising its attack to 3900.

"No! His monster gains nearly 2000 attack points" Black Joker said, trying to bait Joey into attacking.

"With every point aimed right at you! Fiend Megacyber, attack his Insect Goddess!" Joey declared as the fiend lunged at the enormous insect, ready to bash it in the abdomen.

"You're too stupid! Activate hidden card, Barrier Defending The Attack!" Black Joker called as a light blue suit of armor attached to Big Shield Guardna, fitting perfectly. The fiend was instantly reprogrammed and ran at the defending shield monster, whose points were now at 3200.

"Big deal! I'll destroy your Gardna!" Joey was too caught up in surviving this turn to think about the next.

"No you won't! Observe the power of Safeguard! As soon as I discard one card, it raises the defensive power of all of my monsters by 1000! Your Megacyber has mega-met his match!" decreed the joker as a strength-replenishing potion washed upon Hecuba and the Big Shield Guardna. Both showed an astounding increase in defensive strength (Insect Goddess: 3400/3700) (Big Shield Guardna: 100/4200). The Megacyber tried with all his might to break through the shield, but all his efforts were in vain. The shield was too thick and he was sent back to his own side of the field.

"Man, since my attack failed, I lose life points" Joey shrugged as his life points decreased to an even slimmer 150. Now not only was it Black Joker's turn, but his Fiend Megacyber reverted back to 2200 attack points, not well. He formally ended his turn.

Black Joker drew. "Hmm. I'll use this magic card; Pot of Greed! Using it allows me to draw 2 cards," he added to his newest additions to his hand. "Then comes the fun part. First, I'll set these for later, and allow Hecuba to attack your Fiend Megacyber!" For once, Joey noticed he hadn't said anything about him losing. Was he prepared to face a trap? Whatever the situation, Joey was prepared to give him one.

Hecuba was right above Fiend Megacyber, now lowering her altitude in order to decapitate the monster. Her attack was halted however.

"I knew it," murmured Black Joker.

"Skull Dice go!" Joey called before it was too late. "My newest trap lets me roll a die and cut your monster's attack points based upon the roll!" A small demon holding a shiny, orange die appeared on the field. The demon released the die, which began to roll steadily. All eyes of those present were on the roll. Even the tournament official, who usually was staring off into space was focused on it. No one, however, was more anxious to know what would happen than Joey.

The die finally came to a halt on the number 2. "Works for me! Since my die landed on a 2, I can cut your card's attack power in half!" he explained as Hecuba shrunk drastically in size. Fiend Megacyber easily swatted the twin needles away before burying its fist deep within the goddess' abdomen. The pain was too great for her to endure, so she was banished off to the graveyard. (**BJ: 450**). The Black Joker was extremely upset.

"Augh. I had no idea Wheeler kept traps of that magnitude in his deck. And now one of my prized monsters is destroyed, and I have no way of bringing it back or summoning another powerful creature. Guess Big Shield Guardna will have to do for now. My two face down cards should be enough to end this duel without any intrusion from Wheeler" intended the joker. He knew the next turn would be a key factor in whether his idea worked or not. He, however, showed no signs of uncertainty. He watched Joey draw his card, and Joey watched him watch him.

"This is the last turn!" Joey decreed.

"I couldn't agree more," countered the joker.

"Well agree to this! I'm using a powerful ritual card, the Advent of Black Dragon!" He slammed the card onto his duel disk. Black rays of light shot from the card, and a magic circle appeared in the middle of the field.

"Go Joey, finish him off!" cheered Yugi, knowing which monster would be summoned.

* * *

"That's it. Wheeler's already won the match, I can tell" Kaiba predicted the outcome of the match.

"Yeah, Joey sure showed this guy, huh?" Mokuba was marveled by the duel.

"To use the ritual, I'll offer my Gearfried the Iron Knight from my hand!" Joey continued as his metal-covered warrior materialized on the field, floating over until he was in the center of the enchanted circle. He was absorbed down into the depths of hell. Black lightning emerged rapidly and wildly from the circle, accepting the offering. From the circle rose a black dragon with a demonic rider hitched upon its back. The owner of the dragon resembled a knight wearing thickly sewn armor with metal coverings, the ultimate protection. The dragon was not solid, but rather made up of several gases forming a near-solid compound. The dragon shrilled into the air.

"What have you created!?!" an uneasy Black Joker dared to question.

"Nothing compared to his ability! I sacrifice my Dark Knight of Black Dragon in order to summon one of my most powerful creatures! Come forth, Red Eyes Black Dragon!" Joey received his most rare card from his deck holster, bringing it to the field. It shrieked its signature high pitched shriek as it materialized on the field. It's slim head with those dark red eyes meaning doom for many a creature. Following up were its thin but muscular wings and upper torso, followed by the lower torso and lower body, complete with its razor sharp feet. Its stats were an impressive 2400/2000.

"I can't see what everyone's so happy about? Last I checked, even without the added bonuses it received last turn, Big Shield Guardna can easily repel your Red Eyes' attacks" Black Joker stated.

"Yeah, I know, but you just wait. I have faith. And next turn, faith will help me win!" Joey believed.

"Faith does nothing. Skill does everything. Remember that Joey. For when you lose, you'll realize its true! Now let's duel before we turn this into a sermon. I have no reason to be worried. I know all the combinations you can come up with and I know exactly what you play on doing next. The best part is I know just how to counter and destroy you. This duel ends in your next turn!" Black Joker preached.

"Heh" Joey muttered.

"I'm using a spell, Purification of Fate, letting me discard monster cards from my hand to draw the same number of cards I discard! So, I'll say good riddance to these 3 cards and draw 3 from my deck" Black Joker first discarded 3 monsters, then snatched three cards from his thin deck. "And these are just the cards I can use to defeat you" he slapped 3 cards on the field facedown. "I end my move" he declared. "Come on Joey, attack me. Then my prophecy comes true" he thought.

Joey took his turn. He looked at his card, just the card to end this duel and not risk triggering a trap by attacking. "Get ready, folks! I use the magic card Inferno Fire Blast, instantly dealing you 2400 points of damage, you lose!" Joey proclaimed as his magic card activated. A giant red and purple fireball shot out, racing towards the joker.

"Well, they say fight fire with water! Trap card activate, Tactics! This card allows me to negate all of your magic cards and trap cards, but in exchange, you are allowed to attack me directly instead of attacking your monsters" the Black Joker enlightened Joey as his fireball, caused by the magic card, burned itself out before inflicting any damage.

"Oh well, your loss! Go, wipe him out Red Eyes Black Dragon!" Joey commanded, his dragon charging up a raging fireball, which the dragon unleashed, streaming at Black Joker.

"No Joey! You're walking into a trap" called Yugi.

"You sure are!" chained Black Joker. "It's called Contagious Insanity!" he declared. A mirror emerged from the card, reflecting the fireball upon itself. The dragon was destroyed by its own assault. "See, I lose 2400 life points from your dragon's attack, but you lose 1200 life points from my reflection destroying your dragon!" Black Joker explained as both duelists' life points began to decrease.

"So, it's a draw?" Joey asked.

"Not even close" replied Black Joker. "I've got a second surprise. It's a trap your friend Yugi is fond of, and it's called Relay of Soul! This trap works when my life points hit 0. I'm allowed to summon one monster to the field and I will only lose if that card is destroyed, so now I bring out the Demon King (4000/?)" Black Joker slammed the card on the field. Out burst an enormous light gray serpent. It had two massive rows of sharp, yellow teeth. It had two fake eyes it could see out of, but its true eye was located on the top of its head. It had two demonic horns on the top of its head. Finally, being released, it unleashed its long, leathery wings. Its sharp claws were unfolded and the snake roared, finally being set free.

"No" Joey whispered, his life points decreasing to 0. He sank to his knees. He had lost. Black Joker shut off his duel disk, and walked over to the monster, his black necklace gleaming on his neck. He kneeled before the depressed blonde, but said don't worry, Joey won't feel any pain.

"He's in for it now" thought Ace of Spades.

* * *

"What do you mean I won't feel any pain?" Joey asked, but then regretted speaking those words.

"Tribuo ego tui phasma" responded the joker. His necklace began to activate once more. To Joey, however, a sensation was overtaking his body. He began to feel a slight numbness which soon spread rapidly over his body. His breaths seemed shorter, his heart was beating faster, and his world was spinning out of control. He remember the numbness reaching his chest before he blacked out.

To the real world it was much different. A thin white mist was escaping from Joey's mouth. It was his spirit. The necklace immediately absorbed his spirit, sealing Joey's fate. Black Joker then rummaged through Joey's deck until he stopped at a particular card in his graveyard. He dragged it out repeating the same words to the Flame Swordsman card. The necklace seemed to be absorbing the spirit of the Flame Swordsman as well! Black Joker then dropped the card and exited the battlefield.

"Umm, the winner of this duel is… the Black Joker" the tournament official stuttered. Yugi and company rushed to Joey's aid.

"Joey! Joey speak!" demanded Yugi, trying to fight back tears.

"It's no use. He's gone, and the only way to bring him back is by destroying the necklace on Black Joker's neck" Miranda informed him. Yugi looked at her.

"Is that the _only _way?" he responded

"I'm afraid so. And the only way you'd probably do that is by defeating the joker in a duel" Miranda grimly replied. Anzu picked up the Flame Swordsman card.

"Yugi, check this out" she shoved the card before his face. Everyone gathered to see the discovery. To everyone's amazement, the card was blank, with the exception of its attack and defense points.

"What did he do??" Yugi cried out loud. By this time, Kaiba, Mokuba, the tournament official, Ace of Spades, and the Black Joker himself had left from the playing field. It was getting late and the gang decided to head in. Kevin and Tristan carried Joey's body to his bed. Everyone was quiet upon the way in, not cheery as they normally would be, and everyone knew this would be a hard night to get through.

* * *

**CARDS PLAYED**

Insect Soldiers of the Sky: Level 3/ 1000/800/ Insect Type/Desc: This card's attack power increases by 1000 when it attacks a WIND-type monster.

Cell Division: MAGIC/Desc: Select 1 Level 3 or lower Insect-type monster on your side of the field. Special summon one "Cell Split Token" with the same type, level, attribute, attack, defense, and effect as the selected monster.

Double Magic Arm Shield: TRAP/Desc: Sacrifice two monsters that you control. Take control of two of your opponent's monsters. The monster cannot change their positions or attack as they are along on the field.

Coins from the Stars: MAGIC/Desc: Give the rest of your hand to your opponent. Draw a number of cards equal to the number of cards given to your opponent.

Mind Reader: MAGIC/Desc: Declare one card name. If the name of that card is in your opponent's hand, your opponent discards his or her hand.

Fiend Megacyber: Level 6/ 2200/1200/ Warrior Type/Desc: If your opponent has 2 or more monsters than you have on the Field, you can summon this card without offering any Tributes.

Charity Case: MAGIC/Desc: Roll one six-sided die. Draw a number of cards equal to the roll. Your opponent draws an equal amount.

Big Shield Guardna: Level 4/ 100/2600/ Warrior/Desc: If this Monster is facedown when a Magic card affects it that targets 1 Monster, negate that Magic card. At that time, this Monster changes to face-up defense mode. At the end of a Damage Step in which this Monster was attacked, it changes to attack mode.

Axe Raider: Level 4/ 1700/1150/ Warrior Type

Strength Teleporter: MAGIC/Desc: Discard one card from your hand. During this turn, you may sacrifice monsters on your side of the field to increase the attack points of another monster equal to the amount of the sacrificed monster.

Barrier Defending the Attack: TRAP/Desc: When your opponent attacks, transfer the attack to any defense-position monster on the field, whose defense points are then increased by 600.

Safeguard: TRAP/Desc: Discard one card from your hand. Until the End Phase in which this card is activated, all monsters on your side of the field's defense points are increased by 1000.

Pot of Greed: MAGIC/Desc: Draw 2 cards from your deck.

Skull Dice: TRAP/Desc: Roll 1 six-sided die. The result is multiplies by 100 points and subtracted from the ATK and DEF of all monsters in your opponent's control until the end of your turn. Monsters summoned after this card's activation are excluded.

Advent of Black Dragon: RITUAL MAGIC/Desc: This card is used to Ritual Summon "Dark Knight of Black Dragon". You must also offer monsters whose total Level Stars equal 4 or more from the field or your hand as a Tribute.

Gearfried the Iron Knight: Level 4/ 1800/1600/ Warrior/Desc: Any Equip Card equipped to this monster is destroyed.

Dark Knight of Black Dragon: Level 4/ 1200/1900/ Warrior/Desc: You may sacrifice this card in the Main Phase to special summon one "Red Eyes Black Dragon" from your hand, deck, or graveyard to the field in face-up attack position.

Red Eyes Black Dragon: Level 7/ 2400/2000/ Dragon Type

Purification of Fate: MAGIC/Desc: Discard any number of monster cards in your hand. Draw an amount equal to the number of discarded cards.

Inferno Fire Blast: MAGIC/Desc: Select 1 face-up "Red-Eyes B. Dragon" on your side of the field to activate this card. Inflict Damage to your opponent's Life Points equal the original ATK of the selected "Red-Eyes B. Dragon". "Red-Eyes B. Dragon" cannot attack the same turn you use this card.

Tactics: TRAP/Desc: During the turn in which this card is activated, negate all magic and trap card effects controlled by your opponent. All attacks during this turn by your opponent are considered direct attacks on your life points.

Contagious Insanity: QUICK-PLAY MAGIC/Desc: When your opponent attacks, your opponent loses an amount equal to half of the battle damage you have just received from their life points.

Relay of Soul: TRAP/Desc: You may only activate this card when your life points reach 0. Special summon one monster from your hand. You will only lose the duel if the monster is destroyed.


	40. A New Level of Dueling, Part 1

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 39 for details**

**Chapter 40: A New Level of Dueling, Part 1**

The sun gleamed over the horizon, catching Tristan and Anzu standing in Joey's doorway. On the bed in the room, Joey was completely unconscious…nearly dead. "Has Joey even moved?" Anzu questioned since Tristan had been there longer than she had.

"Not even a finger" sighed Tristan, turning from the doorway. At the response, Anzu's eyes swelled up with tears. They both shut the door quietly and made their way down the hall towards Yugi's room.

Inside, the teen was just slipping on his trademark blue jacket and sliding his duel disk on his arm. "Anzu" he turned around, noticing the brunette teen in his doorway.

"Hey Yugi" she quietly said. "You ready for a big day? Today you get to duel"

"Yes I know" He responded, beginning a quite silence until Tristan came running past the doorway.

"Hey guys, nobody else is down here! I think we overslept or something, come on!" Tristan rushed off to the elevator. Yugi flicked off the light switch and walked with Anzu to the elevator.

"Come on" Tristan yelled, already inside the elevator. The threesome traveled upwards until they reached the Central Tower, where everyone was staring at them. Some, such as Kevin, were trying to hold back laughter, while some, like Kaiba, were trying to hold back angry comments. In any case, no one said anything. Well, no one said anything for the first few seconds.

"Yugi, we should disqualify you since you failed to be present. However, since we forgot to specify a meeting time for today, I'll let it slide. Just don't let it happen again," Kaiba snapped.

"Well, now that everyone is here, we can begin Duel 3! The first competitor in this round is Ace of Spades??" he began a statement, but ended in a question, puzzled by the name. "O…k" the official stated as Ace of Spades stood on his disk, which hovered in the air.

"You all have 3 minutes to decide on a competitor before we draft" the official concluded. The only remaining duelists were Yugi, Kevin, and Miranda. They turned to converse amongst themselves.

"I'll duel him. I want to win back Joey's soul" Yugi stated. Even though Kevin and Miranda wanted to win his soul back, they both realized that Yugi was more determined than they were.

"Alright Yugi" Miranda gave him.

"Yeah, go ahead but make sure to whoop his ass" Kevin commented. Miranda slapped him on the back of his head. "What??"

Yugi paid no attention to their antics. Instead, he stood on a plate himself, which responded by raising him to the same altitude of Ace of Spades. "Well, Yugi, ready to lose your soul as well?" Ace questioned, showing his necklace, gleaming in the sunlight.

"I won't lose and when I win, I'll win back Joey's soul, you hear me?!" Yugi yelled.

"You wish! I can't return your friend's soul! Only the one who captured the soul can release it. So looks like the only thing you'll get out of winning is a chance to get Wheeler's soul back. But then again, you won't win, so why should you care. Now, I'm anxious to get your soul as soon as possible, so I'll let my cards speak for me! Time to duel!" Ace of Spades unfolded his duel disk, as did Yugi. In unison, their life points skyrocketed to 4000.

"Ready, Yugi because here we go" Ace of Spades and Yugi both snatched five cards from the top of their dueling decks. Ace took a sixth card. "First turn honors are mine. So I'll set a monster in defense mode and place a card face down and end my turn" Ace of Spades called as two skins of cards appeared on the field. The first in a horizontal position, the second in a vertical.

"Then its my turn" Yugi drew. "I'll summon King's Knight (1600/1400) in attack mode! Go, King's Knight, attack his face down monster!" commanded Yugi as his knight covered in golden-orange armor obeyed. He charged at the face down card.

"Activate trap, Demon Mirror Nightmares!" sprung Ace as a large mirror appeared between King's Knight and his target. This didn't stop the knight, however, who continued his charge. An image of Yugi then appeared in the mirror.

"Oh no!" Yugi realized as the knight slashed his sword straight through the mirror before returning to his post.

"Oh yes! You're the new target of your attack, which cost you 1000 life points" Ace said. (**Y: 3000**)

"Alright, I'll place two cards face down and end my turn" Yugi responded.

"I draw" proclaimed Ace. "I reveal my face-down monster, Dark Mimic, Lv. 1 (100/1000)" he flipped his card to expose a small blue treasure chest with luxurious designs on it. "This lets me draw one card, and now I'll use the magic card Level Up! It lets me sacrifice Dark Mimic, Lv. 1 to bring out Dark Mimic, Lv. 3" he slapped the newest card on his duel disk.

The previous treasure chest was replaced with a bigger and more luxurious one (1000/1000). "Now I'll use Pump Up, doubling my card's attack power for this turn" he added as a yellow glow encased the monster. "Attack his King's Knight!" he instructed as his treasure chest launched, hoping to swallow the knight.

"Hold on! I activate this trap, Dust Tornado! This card destroys your Pump Up!" Yugi countered as his twister swallowed Pump Up, returning Ace's monster to its regular 1000 stats. King's Knight easily slashed the treasure chest before it could devour him. (**A: 3600**)

Ace of Spades growled. "I'll set a card on the field and end my turn"

* * *

Yugi drew. "Hmm. I wonder what he plans on doing. Oh well, I'll just have to hope for the best"

"Come on Yugi. I know you plan on using your knights combo this turn. Then you'll be right where I need you" Ace thought.

"I'll summon Queen's Knight (1500/1600) in attack mode!" he called as his female knight materialized on the field with her sword and shield. "Now since my King's and Queen's knights are on the field, I can summon Jack's Knight (1900/1200) to the field" continued Yugi as a third knight, taller than the other two, wearing indigo armor appeared on the field.

"Now, my knights, win this duel! All three of you, attack his life points directly!" Yugi instructed as his three knights lunged at Ace of Spades, ready to finish him off. Suddenly, all of the knights' attacks were deflected, and they were blown back to their side of the field. "What happened?" Yugi was shocked to see 3 monsters appear on Ace's side of the field. Even more strange, they were replicas of Yugi's knights!

"My trap served its purpose! The Mass Duplication Machine allows me to clone all of your cards and end your battle phase. Pretty powerful, eh?" Ace smiled.

"I've never even heard of that card! Something tells me he didn't get that card fairly, but what good is it now. Kaiba doesn't seem to care" he glanced down at his rival. "I'll end my move" he announced.

"Good" Ace snatched his newest card from his deck. "I'll sacrifice my Queen's Knight to summon a monster in defense mode, but more on that later. Jack's Knight, attack the Queen's Knight!" commanded Ace as his jack obeyed by unsheathing his sword, ready to slash the opposition.

"Activate trap, Cracked Hatchet! This card reduces your Jack Knight's power by 500 points, making it weaker than my queen!" Yugi called as the tip of Jack Knight's sword broke, lowering his attack power. Queen's Knight defended herself from the attack, then countered, slicing Jack Knight into 2 pieces, which exploded. (**A: 3400**)

"And now it's back to me" Yugi drew. "I'll follow suit, sacrificing my Queen Knight to summon my Black Magician Girl (2000/1700)! Black Magician Girl, attack his King's Knight!" he commanded as the magician girl twirled in the air, then released a stream of pink hearts, wrapping around the King's Knight until they destroyed him. (**A: 3000**)

Ace growled. "I'm losing control of this match, but not for long" he thought.

"I end my turn" Yugi broke his concentration.

Ace drew. "Now I reveal my monster, Mystic Swordsman Lv. 6 (2300/1700) and I'll keep it in defense mode! Then, I'll set a card on the field and end my turn! Just try and attack" he baited.

Yugi didn't respond, but only drew. "I wonder why he'd place his monster in defense mode? I don't have any set cards, so does he want me to attack? What's he aiming at" he wondered. "Black Magician Girl, attack his Mystic Swordsman!" commanded Yugi as the female mage sent another stream of hearts destroying the warrior.

"You've triggered my trap, Final Refuge! This lets me summon any monster from my hand to the field! Now, arise, Armed Dragon, Lv. 5 (2400/1700)!" A silver-gray dragon appeared on the field. The massive dragon had an orange outer body, though. It roared a fiery roar.

* * *

"Wait. There's no way he can summon that monster? He must be cheating…" Kaiba grabbed his radio to alert the guards.

"Hold on! You can't summon that monster until you summon Armed Dragon, Lv. 3!" Yugi protested.

"Normally, yes, but my trap negates that little tidbit, so it's fair play!" Ace responded. Kaiba put his radio back in his holster.

"Oh no! Now I have nothing to beat his monster, he's been planning this all along" realized Yugi. "I'll end my turn" he ended with confidence.

"Works for me" Ace snatched his next card. "Now I'll discard Mystic Swordsman, Lv. 4 to activate Armed Dragon's ability! Now you lose any monsters with 1900 or less attack points!" he explained as his dragon cast a green blast over the arena, annihilating King's and Jack's Knight.

"Oh no, Yugi!" Anzu cried.

"Stay strong, buddy!" Tristan cheered.

"My friends are right. I can't give up! I've got to save Joey!" Yugi thought.

"Go! Armed Dragon, attack and destroy the Black Magician Girl!" Ace called as his dragon sent a fire blast, overwhelming and destroying the magician. (**Y: 2600**) "And now I can sacrifice Armed Dragon, Lv. 5 to summon Armed Dragon, Lv. 7 (2800/1000)" The previous dragon was replaced with a taller, more ferocious dragon. This dragon had metal plates covering its body with occasional dark red skin. It breathed heavily and small flames were escaping from its mouth.

"Try beating this Yugi!" Ace laughed wickedly.

"Wow. Yugi's in a tough spot" Kevin commented.

"Yeah, but just because its powerful doesn't mean its invincible" reminded Miranda.

Yugi calmly and confidently drew. "I still have faith, Ace, and that is what will allow me to win this duel! You deal for your wicked, demonic ways while I duel to save mankind from your evil plot! And in the end, Ace, it is I who will be victorious not for what cards I play, but for my reason for fighting! Now, I summon Yellow Gadget (1200/1200) in defense mode allowing me to take my Green Gadget from my deck to my hand" Yugi's deck spat out a card, which Yugi grabbed and added to his hand. "Then, I'll place one card face down and end my turn."

"I draw" Ace gracefully snatched his card. "Ooh! I play Ultimate Insect, Lv. 1 (0/0) in defense mode" he slapped the monster on the field. A gross insect materialized on the field. "Also, you should know, as long as my Insect is on the field, none of your spell cards effect it. Now, Armed Dragon, attack his pathetic machine!" he decreed as his monster launched a flaming blast.

"Reveal trap, Spellbinding Circle!" Yugi called as a magical hexagram encased Armed Dragon, negating the fire blast. Ace growled at the turn of events.

"Now it's back to me" Yugi drew. "Now I activate the magic card, Bond of Brothers! As soon as I pay 1000 life points, I can summon two monsters of the same type to the field" he explained. (Y: 1600) "Now I summon Red Gadget (1300/1500) and Green Gadget (1400/600) to the field" Yugi declared as his a red machine and green machine appeared on the field.

Ace drew. "How touching, but sorry Yugi, the reunion will be cancelled! Your Spellbinding Circle wears off now! But first thing's first, I will offer my Insect to bring out Ultimate Insect, Lv. 3 (1400/900) in defense mode! And, as long as it's out on the field, it will reduce all of your monster's attack points by 100!" Yugi's monsters were zapped of a little energy. "Let's go, Armed Dragon, attack the Green Gadget!" he commanded as another fiery inferno enveloped the green gadget. However, the flame died down, and Green Gadget wasn't there, but neither were the other gadgets!

* * *

"What's happened?" Ace questioned.

Yugi chuckled. "I activated my trap to save my monsters! Mobile Fortress Stronghold (0/2000)!" he revealed his trap, a machine fortress with three empty slots on its front.

"It won't save you Yugi! I'm afraid it's just another one of your weak monsters!" Ace countered.

"Actually, it will help out tremendously! Because when all three of my gadgets are on the field, they attach to my Mobile Fortress, raising its attack by 3000!" he explained as his gadgets locked in place. The fortress then showed an enormous increase in attack power.

"No, I'm sure it won't help, because I'm about to destroy it! Armed Dragon, don't just stand there, send that fortress to the junk yard!" commanded Ace as his dragon once again launched a fiery inferno. This time a pale, cloudy white barrier reflected it.

"ANOTHER trick of yours Motou!?!" Ace growled, getting tired of his plays.

"No trick! Mirage Magic has taken your attack and turned it into healing for my life points" he explained (**Y: 4400**)

"No…Yugi's got me trapped. Now his monster is stronger than mine! And I've only got one card that may end up saving me. No choice but to play it" he placed the card on the field. "Now I end my turn"

Yugi drew. "I switch my fortress into attack mode! Mobile Fortress Stronghold into attack mode! Fortress, attack his Armed Dragon!" he commanded as his monster charged up a red, yellow, and green beam of energy, launching it at the dragon, who then disappeared following the hit. (**A: 2900**)

"And now since you so stupidly attacked me, I can activate this trap! Last Will and Testiment!" sprang Ace. "It lets me select one magic, monster, and trap card from my deck and add them to my hand" he searched his deck, choosing three cards, and showing them to Yugi to prevent cheating.

Yugi was shocked when he saw the cards. "Oh no. Horus, Lv. 4, Evolution Machine, and Level Up! He plans on summoning Horus, the Black Flame Dragon, Lv. 8 in his very next two turns! This is really bad, there's no monster in our deck I can think of that can beat that!" he thought to his aibou.

"All of this for the cost of 700 life points" Ace added. (**A: 2200**)

"Well, if he's bringing out his strongest card, all we need to do is bring out the Black Magician!" Yugi thought.

"I'm not sure even the Black Magician can handle this" Atem responded.

"Of course he can! If we're really supposed to win and rescue Joey, the only monster who can help us do that is the Black Magician!" Yugi replied.

"You're right" Atem said after a slight pause. "Thanks for helping me see that."

"Are you finished yet?" A bored Ace sighed.

* * *

"Yugi, I think I should take over for the rest of the duel. He's playing smarter now and I don't know if you could handle it" Atem told.

"Alright" Yugi's Millennium Puzzle glowed. His normal self was replaced with Atem, smarter, magical, and courageous, Atem was the right person for the duel.

"So…the Pharaoh's now in control" Ace thought. "This will be even better. Now I'll get his soul" he cracked a wicked smile.

"Yes, I'm finished" spoke Atem.

"Good" Ace drew. "Because now I'll set a card face down, and switch my Ultimate Insect into defense mode. End turn" he spoke, staring at Atem. Atem glared back.

Atem drew Dark Magician. "That card he set must have been Evolution Machine. Well, he can't do anything with it right now, so I might as well attack" he planned. "But just in case it isn't Evolution Machine" Atem set a card on the field. "Mobile Fortress Stronghold, attack the Ultimate Insect" he braced himself for the battle. His machine obeyed, launching the same stream of energy, making the insect disappear. The fortress' attack power returned to 3000.

Ace drew. "This is it! Get ready Yugi! I'm going to show you true power! First, I summon Horus, the Black Flame Dragon, Lv. 4 (1600/1000) in attack mode" he announced as a small orange dragon materialized on the field. It seemed harmless.

"Now Yugi's in for it" thought Kaiba. All of his friends were worried Yugi might be over-his-head for this duel.

"Then, I'll throw this into the mix! Level Up will transform my dragon into its Level 6 form!" Ace slapped the card on the field. The tiny orange dragon grew into a large silver dragon with an orange aura surrounding it. This dragon had fully grown wings, and unlike its predecessor was anything but harmless. (2300/1700)

"But wait, now I'm activating Evolution Machine! This card transforms my monster into Level 8 (3000/1800)!" Ace continued his move. Now his monster grew again, with a longer wingspan with a dark, crimson red aura signaling this creature was extremely powerful. Suddenly, Horus' attack increased to 3500.

"No! The secondary effect of Evolution Machine raises the new monster's attack to 3500" Atem remembered. "Now my Dark Magician and Magic Formula combo won't be enough to even match it! But there is one card in my deck that can change that! I just have to believe" Atem closed his eyes.

"Prepare to lose your soul!" Ace laughed.

* * *

**CARDS PLAYED**

**King's Knight:** Level 4/ 1600/1400/ Warrior Type/ Desc: When this card and "Queen's Knight" are face-up on your side of the field, special summon one "Jack's Knight" from your hand, deck, or graveyard to the field.

**Demon Mirror of Nightmares**: TRAP/Desc: When your opponent attacks, negate the attack and reduce your opponent's life points by 1000. Afterwards, discard one card from your hand.

**Dark Mimic, Lv. 1**: Level 1/ 100/1000/ Fiend Type/Desc: FLIP: Draw 1 card from your Deck. Also, during your Standby Phase, send this face-up card to the Graveyard to Special Summon 1 "Dark Mimic LV3" from your hand or Deck.

**Level Up**: MAGIC/Desc: Send 1 face-up monster on your side of the field that has "LV" in its card name to the Graveyard to activate this card. Special Summon the monster that is written in the card text of that monster from your hand or Deck, ignoring the Summoning conditions.

**Dark Mimic, Lv. 3**: Level 3/ 1000/1000/ Fiend Type/Desc: If this card is sent to the Graveyard as a result of battle, the controller of this card draws 1 card from his/her Deck. If this card was Special Summoned by the effect of "Dark Mimic LV1", he/she draws 2 cards instead.

**Pump Up**: EQUIP MAGIC/Desc: Double one monster's attack points.

**Dust Tornado**: TRAP/Desc: Destroy one magic or trap card on the field. You can then set one magic or trap card from your hand.

**Queen's Knight**: Level 4/ 1500/1600/ Warrior Type

**Jack's Knight**: Level 5/ 1900/1200/ Warrior Type

**Mass Duplication Machine**: TRAP/Desc: This card may only be activated during your opponent's battle phase. Special summon a number of "Clone Tokens" equal to the number of monsters on your opponent's side of the field in face-up attack position. The "Clone Token" has the same stats as the monster in the corresponding monster zone on your side of the field. Afterwards, end your opponent's battle phase.

**Cracked Hatchet**: TRAP/Desc: Decrease a monster's attack power by 500 points each turn.

**Black Magician Girl**: Level 6/ 2000/1700/ Spellcaster Type/ Desc: This card's attack power is increased by 300 for each "Black Magician" or "Magician of Black Chaos" in either player's graveyard.

**Mystic Swordsman, Lv. 6**: Level 6/ 2300/1700/ Warrior Type/Desc: If you Normal Summon this card, you must place it in facedown Defense Position. If this card attacks a facedown Defense Position monster, destroy the monster immediately with this card's effect without flipping it face-up or applying damage calculation. You can return the monster destroyed with this effect to the top of your opponent's Deck instead of sending it to the Graveyard.

**Final Refuge**: TRAP/Desc: This trap may only be activated when you have no monsters on the field. Special summon one monster from your hand, regardless of any restrictions.

**Armed Dragon, Lv. 5:** Level 5/ 2400/1700/ Dragon Type/Desc: Send 1 Monster Card from your hand to the Graveyard to destroy 1 face-up monster on your opponent's side of the field with an ATK equal to or less than the ATK of the sent monster. During the End Phase of a turn that this card destroyed a monster as a result of battle, send this card to the Graveyard to Special Summon 1 "Armed Dragon LV7" from your hand or Deck.

**Yellow Gadget:** Level 4/ 1200/1200/ Machine Type/Desc: When this card is successfully normal summoned, flip summoned, or special summoned, you may add one "Green Gadget" from your deck to your hand.

**Ultimate Insect, Lv. 1**: Level 1/ 0/0/ Insect/Desc: As long as this card remains face-up on your side of the field, it is unaffected by any Spell Cards. During your Standby Phase, send this face-up card to the Graveyard to Special Summon 1 "Ultimate Insect LV3" from your hand or Deck. (You cannot activate this effect the turn this card is Normal Summoned, Special Summoned or flipped face-up).

**Spellbinding Circle**: TRAP/Desc: Select a monster. As long as this card remains face-up on the field, the selected monster cannot attack or change its battle position except by the effect of a Magic, Trap, or Effect Monster card. When the selected is destroyed, this card is also destroyed. If the selected monster is offered as a Tribute, this card is not destroyed.

**Bond of Brothers**: MAGIC/Desc: Pay 1000 life points. You may special summon two monsters of the same type to the field.

**Red Gadget:** Level 4/ 1300/1500/ Machine Type/Desc: When this card is successfully normal summoned, flip summoned, or special summoned, you may add one "Yellow Gadget" from your deck to your hand.

**Green Gadget**: Level 4/ 1400/600/ Machine Type/Desc: When this card is successfully normal, flip, or special summoned, you may add one "Red Gadget" from your deck to your hand.

**Ultimate Insect, Lv. 3**: Level 3/ 1400/900/ Insect/ Desc: If this card was Special Summoned by the effect of "Ultimate Insect LV1", as long as this card remains of the field, decrease the ATK of all of your opponent's monsters by 100 points. During your Standby Phase, send this face-up card to the Graveyard to Special Summon 1 "Ultimate Insect LV5" from your hand or Deck. (You cannot activate this effect the turn this card is Normal Summoned, Special Summoned, or flipped face-up.)

**Mobile Fortress Stronghold**: TRAP/Desc: When this card is activated, it becomes a monster card (0/2000) and is summoned in defense position. When "Red Gadget", "Yellow Gadget", and "Green Gadget" are all face-up on your side of the field, this card's attack increases by 3000. This card is still effected by cards that effect traps.

**Mirage Magic**: QUICK-PLAY MAGIC/Desc: When your opponent attacks, negate the attack and increase your life points by an amount equal to the attacking monster's attack points.

**Last Will and Testiment**: TRAP/Desc: When one of your monsters has been destroyed as a result of battle, you may activate this card. Pay 700 life points. Select one magic, trap, and monster card from your deck and add them to your hand.

**Horus, the Black Flame Dragon, Lv. 4**: Level 4/ 1600/1000/ Dragon/ Desc: As long as this card remains face-up on your side of the field, control of this card cannot switch. During the End Phase of a turn that this card destroyed a monster as a result of battle, send this card to the Graveyard to Special Summon 1 "Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV6" from your hand or Deck.

**Horus, the Black Flame Dragon, Lv. 6**: Level 6/ 2300/1600/ Dragon/ Desc: As long as this card remains face-up on your side of the field, it is unaffected by any Spell Cards. During the End Phase of a turn that this card destroyed a monster as a result of battle, send this card to the Graveyard to Special Summon 1 "Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV8" from your hand or Deck.

**Evolution Machine**: TRAP/Desc: This card is activated by sacrificing a card with LV in its name on the field. Special Summon the card named in the card sacrificed to the field from your deck or hand. Negate any special summoning requirements. Increase the monster summoned by this card's attack and defense points by 500.

**Horus, the Black Flame Dragon, Lv. 8**: Level 8/ 3000/1800/ Dragon/ Desc: This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card cannot be Special Summoned except by the effect of "Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV6". As long as this card remains face-up on your side of the field, you can negate the activation and effect of any Spell Cards and destroy them.


	41. A New Level of Dueling, Part 2

**Disclaimer:** See Chapter 40 for details

**Chapter 41: A New Level of Dueling, Part 2**

The score stood at Yugi: 4400, Ace: 2200. Yugi had been in control for the past few turns with his Mobile Fortress Stronghold (3000/2000), until Ace tricked him into attacking. Now Yugi's folly has come back to haunt him, as Ace has summoned Horus, the Black Flame Dragon, Lv. 8, but increased its power to 3500! Is there anything in Yugi's deck that can beat it?

"His monster may be strong, but it's not invincible. His monster may be able to negate magic cards, but there's a card in my deck that can negate its effect! I just have to draw it this turn," Atem thought.

"Now go Horus! Attack his Mobile Fortress!" commanded Ace as his dragon flew up into the air. It unleashed a stream of violet flame, drowning the battlefield in fire. The machine tried its best to stand up to the flames, but was ultimately melted. (**Y: 3900**)

"That leaves your life points wide open!" Ace added, until he noticed Yugi's three gadgets returned to the field. "Oh yeah, forgot about that part." He grumbled. "Be that as it may, your monsters still are outmatched by my dragon, and now I'll end my turn," he announced.

"Come on deck" was the only thing on Atem's mind. He slowly drew his card. He looked at it. "Alright!" he thought. "Now, I set two cards face down and switch all three of my gadgets into defense mode" he announced as two brown cards appeared on the field. Then, his three gadgets shielded themselves with their arms.

"Oh Yugi" Ace thought as he drew. "His plan is powerful, but it's just slow, too slow in fact. It takes several turns for the strategy to unleash its full power. And knowing a duelist like him, he would only use this plan if it were his only way out. And now I'm about to make it a no-way out." He noticed his next card. It was a perfect addition to his plan.

"Prepare Yugi, as I activate Slashing Frenzy! This lets just one of my dragon's attacks destroy all of your monsters! Nothing can save you now! Horus, wipe out his monsters!" called Ace as his dragon once again rose in the air, this time unleashing a flaming blast completely engulfing the field. All three of the gadgets were easily destroyed. Finally, the dragon descended back to the playing field.

Atem had to cover his eyes from the smoke. "Not so hot now Yugi!" wickedly laughed Ace as he concluded his turn.

Atem drew. "Now I'm activating Magical Reign! This trap cancels out your dragon's effect, so I'm free to use my magic cards!" he explained as a sanctuary appeared behind Atem, absorbing some energy from Horus.

"No, Yugi's notorious for using magic cards! I had planned on using that to defeat him," growled Ace. "Oh well" he reassured himself, "there's no way he can bring out a 3500 attack point beast."

"I summon Blockman (1000/1500) to the field! Next, I'll activate this card, Time Jump! This card accelerates time for three turns!" Atem explained.

"Big deal" countered Ace.

"It is when my Blockman's ability is activated! Each turn its on the field it gains one counter!" Atem continued as his Blockman now had three markers above it. "Then, I'll use Blockman's ability to create three more!" his monsters counters disappeared. Blockman then split itself into 3 clones. Now, Yugi had a strong defense. "To end my turn, I place this card on the field, face-down." A new hardback card appeared.

"I've got just three cards left" Atem eyed his Black Magician, Collected Power, and Magical Hats.

Ace drew. "Augh, I've got no monsters!" he thought. "I'll set a card face down! Horus, attack one of his Blockmans!" he commanded as his monster flew into the sky and unleashed another fire blast, drowning the field. The blast died down to reveal two of the Blockmans, but Black Magician as well! (3000/2100)

"There's no way that could have happened from my attack! You had some part in this, Yugi!" pointed Ace towards his opponent. Atem chuckled.

"Yes, actually I did. Magical Academy let me sacrifice two of my monsters to bring forth Black Magician and increasing its attack power by 500!" Atem enlightened his opponent, who stood chuckling back.

"Great try, Yugi, but your monster is still weaker than mine! One more attack and Black Magician will disappear!" Ace countered.

"Funny, it seems to me like our monster's attack points are equal" Atem responded. Ace checked. It was as Atem said! Somehow, Black Magician was at 3500 attack points!

"There's no way," Ace stammered. "You must have cheated! Hacked into the system and altered your monster's attack points!"

"I don't need to cheat! Magic Formula raised my monster's attack points!" Atem revealed his hidden equipment card. A blue glow encased Black Magician, raising it to 3500.

"They may be equal, but our life points sure won't be! Monster Tax, activate!" Ace called upon his facedown card. "This card will deduct your life points by 500 points each turn for every monster you have on the field, so your life points will be gone in no time!"

"Oh no" thought Atem. "If I keep my monsters on the field, I lose life points, but if I don't, then Horus will wipe me out. I'm in a tough spot." He drew.

"I activate Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw two more cards!" he announced as he drew the next two cards. "Then, I'll activate Treasure from Heaven, letting both of us draw until we have six cards in our hands" he continued, drawing five more cards. "I switch both of my Blockmans into attack mode! Now, Black Magician, attack and destroy his dragon!" he commanded.

* * *

Yugi's mage obeyed and launched several streams of black lightning, targeting the giant dragon. The dragon countered by launching another purple flame blast. The two attacks collided and cancelled each other out, but in the process creating an enormous glare, too bright to see through. The glare died down, with both monsters gone.

"Now Blockmans, attack his life points directly!" Atem silently asked for forgiveness from the Black Magician. The two rocks collided into Ace's chest, knocking him backwards. (**A: 200**).

Ace stumbled to regain balance. "You'll pay for that, Yugi," he threatened. "In fact, you'll pay now! With your life points and I use the facedown trap, Dora of Fate! And I select your Blockman for use!" (**Y: 2900**)

"Dora of Fate? What does that do?" Kevin asked, not remembering exactly.

"Well, it's a trap. If Black Joker can summon a level 3 monster in his next turn, then Yugi loses 2000 life points, which is a steep dive." Miranda explained.

Ace drew. "Yes! Now I summon Phoenix Egg (0/2500) in defense mode! You know what that means, right? I may not be able to use my egg's ability, but I can cause you to lose 2000 life points since my monster is one level lower than yours!" Yugi was hit with a black ball of energy. (**Y: 900**) "Now I'll end my turn, and in your End Phase, you lose!" smiled Ace.

Atem drew. He studied his hand, which contained four monster cards and a magic card. "I activate Graceful Charity!" he played his sixth card; "letting me draw three cards from my deck, and discard two" he did so. "I activate the magic card, Life-force Exchange! This card lets me draw two new cards and sacrifice my two Blockmans!" he declared as he drew two more cards, and his Blockmans were encased in white magical rings.

"So! None of your monsters can destroy my Phoenix Egg! And, as soon as you end your turn, my trap card will wipe out the rest of your life points! Then your soul is mine!" Ace contradicted.

"No! I'll be victorious by the end of the duel!" Atem responded. "Because now, I sacrifice my Blockmans to bring back Queen's Knight and King's Knight!" his knights took the place of his rock soldiers.

"Then, I'll use Raise Dead to bring back Jack's Knight!" he added, as his third knight rose from the ground, ready to fight. Atem had six cards left in his hand, the six cards that could bring him victory. "Next, I'll activate this magic card, Royal Straight!" Atem added. I offer up my Jack's Knight, Queen's Knight, and King's Knight to bring out the Royal Straight Flush (2300/1600).

"It's no use to you Yugi! There's no way you can win, especially when I use Double Spell! As soon as I discard one card from my hand, I can clone your Raise Dead, bringing back my Horus, Lv. 8!" Ace explained as a Raise Dead card appeared on Ace's side of the field. The silver dragon burst onto the field, extending its wings. It powerfully roared as it towered over all other monsters.

"I win!" declared Ace.

"No! I'll win, because I have one last play! I use Royal Straight Flush's effect!" called Atem.

* * *

"Oh yeah! Yugi wins!" declared Kevin.

"Now, I discard Kuriboh, Old Vindictive Magician, Silver Fang, Retrained Elven Swordsman, and Baffomet to use Royal Straight Flush's ability to destroy all of your cards!" Atem explained as his monster charged his sword up a light blue color before smashing it on the ground, sending an energy wave destroying all of Ace's cards. He was wide open.

"No! This can't be!" cried Ace.

"It is! Royal Straight Flush, attack his life points directly and end the duel!" called Yugi as his monster ran up and slashed Ace diagonally in the chest. (**A: 0**) "I win," said Yugi.

* * *

"The winner of this duel is Yugi Moto!" the tournament official announced as Atem and Yugi traded places again.

"Good job Yugi!" congratulated Anzu.

"You're the man!" added Tristan.

"Thanks guys" Yugi replied, but was not as enthusiastic, still worrying about Joey. "Well, the next duel's not for an hour and a half, let's head back downstairs" he suggested.

"Sounds good to me" Kevin walked over towards the elevator. "So it's me and you next eh, Miranda?"

"Yup" she smiled.

"Just remember, I won't show any mercy," Kevin said.

"You have my word that no punches will be pulled either," replied Miranda. Kevin shut up after that. The gang returned to the lobby.

"So, was that an awesome duel or what?" Tristan asked.

"It was pretty cool, kind of short though, so Yugi's getting to be a much better player," commented Anzu.

"Well, thanks, Anzu;" responded Yugi.

"Yup, I've watched Yugi over the years and you're right Anzu" Miranda said.

"So, are you some kind of fan or something?" wondered Tristan.

"Umm…not really, I've just been hoping to duel him myself one day, you know just to see how good I am" replied Miranda.

"Well I'm sure that when we duel, it will be an honorable match I look forward to" Yugi responded.

"Likewise" smiled Miranda.

* * *

"Hey guys, its getting kind of cold in here," Anzu stated. "I'll be right back. I'm just gonna go grab my jacket. She walked to the main hallway, where everyone's rooms were, including a small second lobby in the back. Since Anzu had not known where her room was before the tournament, she stuck her jacket in the back lobby. She opened the door and opened the closet door when she thought she heard a voice. She wasn't sure whom it belonged to, so she didn't respond. After a second, the voice picked up again, this time closer to the back lobby.

"Oh no" she thought. "It's that Black Joker guy!" she realized who the voice belonged to. She hid in the closet, leaving a small crack in the doorway so she could see who entered the room. And sure enough, in a matter of seconds, Black Joker, on a cell phone, entered the back lobby. He stood by the closet door. Anzu could hear everything, his cell phone volume loud enough for her to hear both parties.

"Yeah, I know I'm the only one left" Black Joker spoke. A voice on the other end then spoke. "Well, so far, I've captured about 8 souls, the strongest being Joey Wheeler and his Flame Swordsman."

"Joey Wheeler? I've heard he's nearly impossible to beat" the voice said.

"Well, that must mean I'm impossible, eh?" light-heartedly chuckled the joker.

"Yes, but you must hurry and finish the task. The crystal is nearly depleted of all energy, and when it dies, so does our plan. So capture the soul of the Pharaoh as soon as you can. His life force alone can power the crystal enough. I've waited a long time for revenge on that Pharoah. And I finally found the perfect solution. Five thousand long years I've waited to return so that I may rule! As soon as enough energy is gathered, I can finally open the space-time continuum, allowing me to rewrite history, and I shall rule and that Pharaoh will pay!" the voice spoke, angrily.

"Yeah, yeah, we get it!" Black Joker ended the speech.

"This is the last call for lunch provided by KaibaCorp. Anyone wishing to get lunch courtesy of KaibaCorp. report to the grand lobby immediately." A voice spoke over the intercom.

"Got to go" said Black Joker. "Villains got to eat to. Alright. Goodbye" Black Joker hung up the phone. He exited the room, shutting the door behind him. Anzu was scared stiff. She didn't even open the closet door for 3 minutes, terrified of what Black Joker may do to her if he figured out that she figured out his grand plan. Finally, she gathered the courage to open the door and return to the lobby.

"Anzu, you alright? You've been gone for a long time" Kevin noticed her return.

"Not really. Well, I kind of heard something when I was in the back lobby" she said, her tone becoming quieter with each word.

"Yes" Yugi said, becoming more serious.

"Ok. Well I heard Black Joker and he revealed his entire plan" continued Anzu.

"Anzu, you've got to tell us what he's up to" Miranda said.

She paused. "Alright, well, from what I can tell, he plans on absorbing people's souls and feeding them to some giant crystal so that he can rewrite history. Black Joker's not in charge either. There's some other guy. And this guy has some grudge against the Pharoah, Yugi" explained Anzu.

"Hmm" thought Yugi.

"Attention, competitors! The next duel of the tournament will begin in 2 minutes! Again, this is a two-minute warning! Report to the Central Tower immediately" a voice boomed over the loudspeaker.

* * *

"Well, guess that's our call" Tristan got up.

"Yeah, we can worry about Black Joker later. It's not like he's dueling next" Kevin concluded.

"Ok" Anzu shook the topic out of her mind. The gang once again took the elevator up to the Central Tower, where they were, once again, last to arrive. This time, however, they were on time.

"The last match of the quarter-finals will begin! Miranda Guinaldo, Kevin Hunter, prepare your decks and report to the playing field!" the official stated as both competitors stood on their platforms, which rose into the air.

"Begin, whenever you are ready!" spoke the official.

"Well, two people I know nothing about. This match should be promising" thought Kaiba.

"Ready Miranda?" asked Kevin.

"Been waiting!" she replied. Their life points rose simultaneously to 4000. They both drew five cards.

"Let's duel!" they announced in unison.

* * *

**CARDS PLAYED**

**Slashing Frenzy**: QUICK-PLAY MAGIC/Desc: Select one monster on your side of the field. During this turn, this monster may attack and does attack all monsters on your opponent's side of the field. Effects of monsters destroyed by this card cannot be activated.

**Magical Reign:** CONTINIOUS TRAP/Desc: As long as this card remains face-up on the field, magic, trap, or monster effects that destroy magic cards are negated.

**Blockman:** Level 4/1000/1500/ Rock Type/Desc: Each turn during your standby phase, place one "Turn Counter" on this monster. During your Main Phase, you remove all turn counters, and divide this monster into as many pieces equal to the number of turn counters that were on this card when it was face-up on the field.

**Time Jump**: QUICK-PLAY MAGIC/Desc: Accelerate time for three turns. All effects involving turns increase by three turns worth of effects.

**Magical Academy:** QUICK-PLAY MAGIC/Desc: Discard 2 cards from your hand. Summon one monster from your hand and increase its attack points by 500.

**Black Magician: **Level 7/ 2500/2100/ Spellcaster Type

**Magic Formula:** EQUIP MAGIC/Desc: This card may only be equipped to "Black Magician", "Black Magician Girl" or a fusion of any of the two. Increase the monster's attack power by 500.

**Monster Tax**: CONTINIOUS TRAP/Desc: During your opponent's End Phase, decrease their life points by 500x the number of monsters on their side of the field.

**Pot of Greed**: MAGIC/Desc: Draw two cards from your deck.

**Treasure from Heaven:** MAGIC/Desc: Both players draw from their decks until they both hold 6 cards in their respective hands.

**Dora of Fate: **TRAP/Desc: Select 1 face-up monster on your opponent's side of the field. When you successfully Normal Summon a monster that is 1 Level lower than the selected monster during your next turn, inflict damage to your opponent's Life Points equal to the Level of the selected monster x 500 points.

**Phoenix Egg: **Level 3/ 0/2500/ Winged Beast/Desc: At the end of each of your turns, place one "Turn Counter" on this monster. During your Main Phase, you may sacrifice this face-up card with three turn counters on it to special summon one "Crimson Phoenix" from your hand, deck, or graveyard to the field.

**Graceful Charity**: MAGIC/Desc: Draw three cards from your deck, then discard any two from your hand.

**Life-force Exchange**: MAGIC/Desc: Draw two cards from your deck. Sacrifice any number of monsters on your side of the field. Special summon a number of monsters (Level 7 or below) from your graveyard equal to the number of monsters sacrificed in face-up attack position.

**Raise Dead**: MAGIC/Desc: Select 1 Monster Card from either your opponent's or your own Graveyard and place it on the field under your control in Attack or Defense Position (face-up). This is considered a Special Summon.

**Royal Straight: **MAGIC/Desc: Sacrifice one face-up "Queen's Knight", "King's Knight, and "Jack's Knight" on your side of the field. Special summon one "Royal Straight Flush" from your hand, deck, or graveyard to the field.

**Royal Straight Flush**: Level 6/ 2300/1600/ Warrior/Desc: This card may only be special summoned by the effect of "Royal Straight." Discard 5 monster cards from your hand with levels 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 to the graveyard to destroy all cards on your opponent's side of the field.

**Double Magic**: MAGIC/Desc: Discard one magic card from your hand. Select one magic card from your opponent's graveyard and activate it as your own magic card.


	42. Dragon Demolition, Part 1

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 41 for details**

**Chapter 42:** **Dragon Demolition, Part 1**

"I'll even be a gentleman and let you go first" Kevin replied, examining his opening hand.

"Well thank you! I summon Minor Dragon of Earth (1700/1500) in attack mode!" Miranda called as her dragon materialized on the field. "Then I'll place a card face down and end my turn," she added.

Kevin snatched his newest card. "I'll bring out Dark Blade (1800/1500) in attack mode!" he announced as his warrior materialized, its shiny black armor gleaming in the sunlight. "Second, I'll play a magic card, known as Fusion Sword Misurame Blade, which pumps up my Dark Blade by 800 attack points" he explained as his creature's attack power shot up to 2600. "Attack!" he demanded as his monster whipped out his sword, slicing the defending dragon once vertically and once horizontally before the monster could bear the pain no more, and exploded. (**M: 3100**)

"Yes!" thought Kevin, "round one, I win."

Miranda calmly drew her card. She added it to her hand and selected another card from her hand to play. "I summon Grey Wing (1300/700) in defense mode and end my turn" she announced as her small orange dragon materialized on the field. In addition to its natural orange, it was protected by a dusty brown shell and had two heavenly white wings flowing behind it. It folded its wings before it as a defense.

"Done?" Kevin asked.

"Sure am" Miranda replied.

* * *

"You think Kevin's got this in the bag?" Anzu wondered on the sidelines. "I mean, Miranda's hardly putting up a fight"

"Yes, Anzu, but that may just be part of her strategy. Remember, we've never seen Miranda duel before, so she may have some tricks up her sleeve. We'll just have to see" Yugi responded.

"Then I'll draw" Kevin swiftly snatched his newest card. "Oh yeah!" he exclaimed. "I activate Pot of Greed to draw two cards! Then, I play this magic card, Dragon Summoning!"

"Dragon Summoning? Never heard of that card before" thought Miranda.

"Hey, what does that do Yugi?" wondered Anzu.

"I'm not too sure," replied Yugi, "but I think Kevin gives up 1000 life points and he can summon any dragon monster he wants from his deck."

"Any monster?" repeated Tristan.

"I believe so," answered Yugi.

"So what does your new card do?" Miranda asked.

"Easy. I give up a thousand life points (**K: 3000**) and discard a dragon monster from my hand" Kevin slipped Luster Dragon into his graveyard slot, "to bring out the mighty Blue Eyes White Dragon (3000/2500)!" Kevin announced as Kaiba's signature white, blue eyed dragon exploded from its card, its roar covering the entire arena.

Everyone was astray. "How did this kid get a Blue Eyes? No one in the entire world, excluding myself, possesses one of the four legendary Blue Eyes White Dragons. The fourth was ripped up, I should know, I ripped it up! This card must be a fake," Kaiba hissed.

"What? A Blue Eyes White Dragon, that's impossible!" protested Yugi.

"This must be a trick. How could you possibly get a hold of one of the rarest creatures in Duel Monsters?" Miranda questioned.

"Well, take a look at my card" Kevin snatched it off his Duel Disk. There was a piece of tape around the card, connecting the two halves. Kaiba was in awe.

"Could that be…the fourth dragon?" he wondered.

"Some girl named Rebecca Hawkins competed in this tournament and lost her Blue Eyes to me. So all's fair," Kevin explained, much to his delight.

"Rebecca lost her Blue Eyes?" Yugi muttered. "She must be devastated. When we dueled, she wouldn't let anything distract her from winning the dragon. She had one goal, get that dragon," he recalled.

"But enough about a history lesson, let's get on with the present!" Kevin replied. "My dragon will rip your defense to pieces!"

"Not quite! Activate trap, Bottomless Trap Hole!" sprung Miranda. "This trap takes your mighty dragon and removes him from play! So your dragon won't be doing anything this turn to harm me" she smiled.

"You may have defeated my dragon, but I've still got Dark Blade! Attack her Gray Wing," he commanded, as the monster was destroyed in the same style as Minor Dragon of Earth in the previous turn.

Miranda drew. "All right! Time to activate Graceful Charity!" she slid the magic card in its slot, triggering the effect. She drew three cards, and selected two to discard to the graveyard. "I'll set a card face down for later, and use this time to play Magical Slots!" she declared.

"Magical Slots…" Kevin wondered, trying to recall if he had heard of this card or not. His search came up empty.

"In case you're wondering, my card will let me flip three coins. Then the fun begins" she cracked a grin as a slot machine materialized on the field. The lever magically lowered and the slots began to whirr around like crazy. The first stopped on a tails, the second on heads, and the final one…heads.

"Perfect! Now I can summon Drakor (2200/1500) in defense mode!" she announced as her flaming dragon appeared on the field, hissing in Kevin's direction. "End turn," she declared.

* * *

"I don't know about you guys, but I think Miranda's fixing to show Kevin some moves," Anzu said.

"Yeah. Kevin thinks he's in control, but that's what makes them different. Kevin seems to rely on power to win his duels to overwhelm his opponents, but Miranda's more of a strategist, analyzing combinations she can use to destroy her opponents" Tristan noticed, announcing his conclusions to his friends.

Kevin drew once more. "I play Spear Dragon (1900/0) in attack mode! Now, Spear Dragon, attack Drakor!" he declared as his monster unleashed a windy cyclone blast, eliminating the fiery defense. "Don't forget, Spear Dragon does damage to your life points even when your monster's in defense mode" he added as Miranda's life points suffered a small decrease. (**M: 2700**)

"Time to whittle you down even more! You promised me a fight Miranda, but I hardly sense one. Dark Blade, follow up with a direct attack!" Kevin commanded as the monster flew at Miranda, ready to eliminate nearly all of her life points.

"You really are a trap magnet," sighed Miranda. "Sakurestu Armor, activate!" she called as a silver armor suit materialized on Dark Blade. The armor then self-destructed, destroying the mighty warrior before its attack could damage Miranda.

Kevin growled. He walked straight into the trap and now he only had a monster with 0 defense points defending him. Not good. "I'll switch Spear Dragon to defense and end my turn" he grumbled.

"I take it you don't like losing" Miranda stated as she drew.

"I don't" replied Kevin.

"Too bad. Because now I play the Dragon's Holy Land! This card covers the field in a mountainous area, or in other words, a dragon haven, powering all dragon creatures on the field by 200 points" she explained. "Then I'll summon Ryu-Sharigan (1900+200/1200+200) to the field and end my turn!"'

"Why didn't she attack? Did she think she'd trigger my facedown card? Oh well, her loss" Kevin pondered before he drew. "I sacrifice my Spear Dragon to bring out the Summoned Skull (2500/1200)" he announced as his weak blue and yellow dragon was replaced with the tall, white and purple demonic skull. The skull growled as he made his appearance on the field.

"He thinks he's beating me," laughed Miranda to herself.

"Go Summoned Skull, attack Ryu-Sharigan! Lightning Strike!" cried Kevin as his monster charged himself up with electricity, sending two waves at Miranda's dragon.

"Another trap, just for you! I activate Ryu-Sharigan's ability! By discarding my Change of Heart card, I can power my Ryu-Sharigan to an attack equal to Summoned Skull" she explained as her monster glowed in white light, attack points rising to 2500.

"So what, both monsters are destroyed now, and you just wasted a good magic card!" Kevin responded. The lightning blast smashed into Ryu-Sharigan, who then responded with a flaming orange blast, melting away Summoned Skull. Ryu-Sharigan remained on the field, undamaged.

"What! You cheated! When both monsters have the same attack strength and are both in attack mode, they're both destroyed!" Kevin explained the rule of the game.

"Not when one of your monsters has a special ability," countered Miranda. "And Ryu-Sharigan's is very nifty, since it can never be destroyed in a battle" she smiled.

"Uh-oh. This is a tough spot. Now, if I do attack, I lose a monster and she loses nothing. But if I don't attack, I leave myself open for her to destroy me during a turn. How can I defeat this card?" he pondered, until a solution clicked in his brain. "That just might work," he thought. For now, however, it was Miranda's turn, and he was wide open.

Miranda drew. "Go! Ryu-Sharigan, attack Kevin's life points directly!" she commanded as the dragon charged a similar orange fireblast, aimed for Kevin.

"Reveal trap, Draft Dragon!" he countered. Miranda seemed unfazed however. "In exchange for half of my life points, I can summon a dragon monster to the field to block your attack!" explained Kevin, his life points suffering a major decline. (**K: 1500**) "I'll summon Mirage Dragon (1600/600) in defense mode" he explained as the blue dragon appeared on the field, immediately being disintegrated by the fires of Ryu-Sharigan.

"I'll end my turn" Miranda declared, satisfied Kevin had nothing on his field.

"I draw," declared Kevin. "Then I'll play Card of Sanctity, requiring both of us to draw until we have 6 cards in our hand" he explained the rules of the card. Miranda picked up five cards off her deck, while Kevin drew four.

* * *

"So…who do you think is gonna win this?" Tristan tried to start conversation on the sidelines.

"I'm not sure yet. Miranda's got the lead, but that doesn't really mean anything" Anzu suggested.

Yugi had a grim look on his face.

"This is quite the show. I only hope I get to duel one of them. Then won't they be in for a rude awakening" Joker thought, fingering his newly modeled deck.

"Looks as if Miranda's got Kevin on the edge, and is just about to push him off; works for me. Then I'll be able to duel Miranda and strip her of the Blue Eyes White Dragon, which rightfully belongs within my deck" plotted Kaiba.

"Now I play Drillago (1600/1100)" Kevin slapped his newest monster card on the card plate. A yellow machine with several drills emerging from its body materialized on the field. Each of its polished, pointy drills whirled, ready to carve up an opponent. "And since the only card on your side of the field is a monster with more than 1600 attack points, Drillago, attack Miranda's life points directly!" he demanded as his monster dug deep within the Earth, springing before Miranda and holographically stabbing her with one of its many drills. (**M: 1500**)

Miranda growled, not planning on getting her life points reduced in a maneuver like that.

"I'll set a card face down" a brown-back card appeared on Kevin's field, "and complete my turn" he thought, knowing if Miranda didn't have anything this turn, victory would be his.

Miranda drew once more. "Now, reveal another ability of Dragon's Holy Land, which can reduce the level of each dragon monster in our hands by one! So I offer Ryu-Sharigan to bring forth Red Eyes Black Dragon (2400/2000)!" she called, her original monster destroyed in a black flame, bringing out the sharp taloned, midnight-black dragon, whose red eyes drove fear within the mightiest of opponents. It let out a shrill cry and sent a clear message it was in control of the field.

"Don't forget, Red Eyes gains 200 attack and defense points from my Dragon's Holy Land card" Miranda added as the dragon's strength rose to 2600 and his defense to 2200.

"Reveal trap, Sight Curse! This card gives me a clone of your Red Eyes Black Dragon, only 500 points weaker (2100/1700)!" Kevin sprang as his trap created a Red Eyes clone. Both dragons hissed, growled, and glowered at each other, wanting to be the superior dragon.

"I see what Hunter's up to…" thought Kaiba.

"He thinks that by using that fake dragon…" continued Black Joker

"He'll be saving himself for a turn" completed Miranda. "What an amateur move" she thought, "but I won't fall for it!" she yelled. "Red Eyes Black Dragon, incinerate his Drillago!" she commanded.

"Augh! Damn!" thought Kevin as the Red Eyes sent a raging red-orange fire blast towards the machine, completely melting it away. (**K: 500**) "My trap didn't work, now I'm down to 500 life points and she's completely dominating the field. But I can't give up, I know somewhere, there's another monster in my deck that can save me from this jam"

"While you're off daydreaming, I'll set a card facedown before ending my move" Miranda smirked, believing that soon she would be victorious.

Kevin closed his eyes and snatched the top card off. He looked at it, and a sigh of relief escaped from his mouth. "Call to Arms, activate!" he announced. "By discarding two monsters from my hand, I can bring one from my deck to my hand! So I offer you, Element Dragon and Alligator's Sword, to bring out the mighty Chaos Emperor Dragon!" he explained as his deck holster spit out a card, which Kevin snatched to his hand.

"Uh…oh" stammered Miranda.

"Oh yes! Now I'll remove from play Drillago and Mirage Dragon to bring forth the all powerful Chaos Emperor Dragon (3000/2500)!" Kevin slammed the card onto the duel disk. A fault immediately sprung from the earth, a fiery inferno being caught beneath it. Some fires whipped out of the fault forming a protective barrier around the shadow of a dragon. The monster roared from within the fire and the flames dispersed to reveal an emerald green dragon plated with golden armor in several places over its body with a wild orange mane flowing from behind its head in the wind. Its razor sharp talons and amazing wingspan spelt doom for any foe foolish enough to attack it.

"Activate trap!" Miranda called.

"No trap's going to save you from this attack! Now I'll use Dian Keto the Cure Master to raise my life points by 1000!" Kevin exclaimed as a goddess appeared on the field, giving Kevin a golden ball of life, which floated into the part of his Duel Disk where the life-point counter was. It shot up by one thousand. (**K: 1500**)

"Finally, I give up 1000 life points (**K: 500**), to activate my monster's deadly ability! End this match!" instructed Kevin as the dragon unleashed an enormous wave of red-orange flames, completely covering the entire arena. Only the duelists could be made out. The flames eventually rose in level until they destroyed their creator and every other card on the field. At last, the flames began to die down until no cards were on the field.

"And I win!" happily cheered Kevin.

"Not quite!" Miranda protested. Kevin checked the score, and her life points were still the same!

"What's going on?" he demanded to know.

"You should have paid more attention to my trap card, Hallowed Life Barrier! This trap negates the damage I receive by the simple price of one card from my hand. I'm safe, you've got no cards to defend you, five-hundred life points, and it's my turn. Smooth move, Kevin" Miranda responded as she knew this turn could decide the entire match.

Kevin was worried, realizing the same fact Miranda had.

* * *

"This is it…it could be the final turn" Yugi thought.

"Oh no, someone's fixing to lose" Tristan wondered.

"Yes, Blue Eyes, here I come" greedily thought Kaiba.

"Finally, now I can show these people real dueling and get what I came here for" Black Joker sighed.

Miranda drew and cracked a joyous grin.

All Kevin could do is gulp.

* * *

**CARDS PLAYED**

_**Minor Dragon of Earth:** _Level 4/ 1700/1500/ Dragon Type

_Dark Blade_: Level 4/ 1800/1500/ Warrior Type

_Fusion Sword Misurame Blade_: EQUIP MAGIC/Desc: This card can only be equipped to Warrior-Type monsters. A monster equipped with this card increases its ATK by 800 points. This card cannot be destroyed by effects that destroy Magic Cards.

_Gray Wing: _Level 3/ 1300/700/ Dragon Type/Desc: Discard 1 card from your hand during Main Phase 1. This monster can attack twice during the Battle Phase of any turn this effect is used.

_Pot of Greed: _MAGIC/Desc: Draw two cards from your deck.

_Dragon Summoning: _MAGIC/Desc: Pay 1000 life points. Discard one dragon-type monster from your hand. Special summon one dragon type monster from your deck.

_Blue Eyes White Dragon: _Level 8/ 3000/2500/ Dragon Type

_Bottomless Trap Hole_: TRAP/Desc: When your opponent Normal Summons, Flip Summons, or Special Summons a monster with an ATK of 1500 or more, the monster is destroyed and removed from play.

_Graceful Charity: _MAGIC/Desc: Draw 3 cards from your deck. Then, discard any two cards from your hands.

_**Magical Slots**: _MAGIC/Desc: Toss 3 coins. If two out of three are heads, Special Summon one level 5 or higher monster from your Deck to the field in face-up attack mode or defense mode. If all three are heads, Special Summon up to 2 level 5 or higher monster(s) from your Deck to the field in face-up attack mode or defense mode. If all are tails or one is heads, inflict 500 times the number of cards in your hand as direct damage to your Life Points. The summoned monster(s) cannot attack on the same turn they were summoned to the field and they cannot attack the opponent's Life Points directly.

_**Drakor**: _Level 5/ 2200/1500/ Dragon Type/Desc: When a "Burning Land" is active on the field, negate the damage to the controller of this card while this card is face-up on the field.

_Sakurestu Armor: _TRAP/Desc: When your opponent attacks, destroy the attacking monster.

_**Dragon's Holy Land**: _FIELD MAGIC/Desc: Increase the ATK and DEF of all Dragons by 200 and downgrade all Dragon-Class monsters levels on the field and in both player's hand by 1.

_**Ryu-Sharigan**: _Level 4/ 1900/1200/ Dragon Type/Desc: This card is not destroyed in a result of battle and is not affected by any Trap Cards. When this card battles with a monster with an ATK higher than this card, discard one card from your hand to increase this creature's ATK to equal the monster is battles. This effect can be used during either player's battle phase.

_Spear Dragon: _Level 4/ 1900/0/Dragon Type/Desc: If this card attacks with an ATK that is higher than the DEF of your opponent's Defense Position monster, inflict the difference as Battle Damage to your opponent's Life Points. When this card attacks, it is changed to Defense Position at the end of the Damage Step.

_Summoned Skull: _Level 6/ 2500/1200/ Demon Type

_**Draft Dragon**: _TRAP/Desc: This card can only be activated during your opponent's turn. Pay half of your Life Points to activate this card. Special Summon one Dragon-Type monster to the field in face-up attack or defense position. The monster cannot attack on the turn it was Special Summoned.

_Mirage Dragon: _Level 4/ 1600/600/ Dragon/Desc: As long as this card remains face-up on your side of the field, your opponents cannot activate Trap Cards during the Battle Phase.

_Card of Sanctity: _MAGIC/Desc: Both players draw until they hold 6 cards in their respective hands.

_Drillago: _Level 4/1600/1200/ Machine Type/Desc: When there are only face-up monsters with ATK 1600 or more on your opponent's side of the field, this monster can attack your opponent's Life Points directly.

_Red Eyes Black Dragon: _Level 7/ 2400/2000/ Dragon Type

_Sight Curse: _TRAP/Desc: This card may only be activated when your opponent normal summons or special summons a monster. Special summon one "Sight Curse Token" to the field. The token has the same level, type, attribute as the summoned monster. The monster also has the same attack and defense points minus 500.

_Call to Arms: _MAGIC/Desc: Discard two monsters from your hand. Place one monster from your deck into your hand.

_Chaos Emperor Dragon: _Level 8/ 3000/2500/ Dragon Type/Desc: This card can only be Special Summoned by removing 1 LIGHT and 1 DARK monster in your Graveyard from play. Pay 1000 of your Life Points to send all cards in both players' hands and on the field to the Graveyard. Inflict 300 points of damage to your opponent's Life Points for each card that is sent to the Graveyard by this effect.

_Dian Keto the Cure Master: _MAGIC/Desc: Raise your life points by 1000.

_Hallowed Life Barrier: _TRAP/Desc: Discard one card from your hand. During this turn, any damage you take from your opponent becomes 0.

_Any cards in bold-face print are not my property, but belong to 'BlakDragon220'_


	43. Dragon Demolition, Part 2

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 42 for details**

**Chapter 43: Dragon Demolition, Part 2**

The score stood as Kevin: 500 v. Miranda: 1500. Kevin has just used his mighty Chaos Emperor Dragon to flood the field, but didn't realize Miranda's trap card, Hallowed Life Barrier, saved her for the turn. Now Kevin has no cards whatsoever, and its opponent's turn…

"It might not be a monster I can attack with, but it will allow me to bring out my ultimate creature! Reveal, Hail of Light Dragon!" A luminous burst of energy filled the arena. "This lets me summon an all powerful monster when I have a wind, water, and light monster in my graveyard" Miranda explained.

"Wait a minute, you don't have all of those types of monsters in your graveyard" objected Kevin.

"Originally I didn't, but your dragon's ability gave me just the monsters I needed in my graveyard to summon this card! Sirius, Winged Dragon from the Sky of Above (3300/2600)!" Miranda responded as her light, yellow dragon flew from the heavens onto the field. It released a defining roar, which sent a chill through Kevin's spine.

"Oh man! Great, I'm fixing to lose," thought Kevin.

"Don't look so sad. Luckily for you, when my monster first comes to the field, it can't attack you, so you're saved, for a turn" Miranda replied, much to Kevin's delight. "Next turn, my dragon will destroy you and the rest of your life points! You've only got one draw left, Kevin."

Kevin confidently drew. He released a sigh of relief, knowing it was a monster card, so he'd hopefully be saved for a turn. "I'll place a monster in facedown defense mode, and then end my turn" he announced as the brown back card appeared on the field.

Miranda drew. "Drat! Not a monster card. Looks like you're save for a turn, Hunter! Now, Sirius, attack his facedown monster now!" she demanded as the monster unleashed a golden energy beam, tearing through Kevin's defending monster, which was revealed as Pitch-Dark Dragon. "I'll end my turn now" she declared.

* * *

"Whoa! Miranda's got this match in the bag, it's just a matter of time until either Kevin doesn't get a monster or Miranda gets another monster, then Kevin's trapped and Miranda's one duel closer to a tournament victory" Tristan preached. 

"I'm not sure. Miranda's good, but Yugi could defeat her" Anzu replied.

"Yeah, I second that," corrected Tristan.

Kevin drew, letting another sigh escape his mouth. "It seems like Lady Luck is on my side today, which I desperately need. I'll use The Warrior Returning Alive magic card to bring back a monster I lost due to my Chaos Emperor Dragon, Envoy of the End's special ability, my Retrained Elven Swordsman (1400/1200), who I'll place in defense mode" he explained. "Try getting past this! I end my turn" Kevin added.

Miranda drew, smiling at her card. "It's just about over for you! I use my Raise Dead magic card to bring back an old friend, Red Eyes Black Dragon!" she decreed as her monster rose from inside the earth, shrilling as it came from the grave. "Now Red Eyes Black Dragon, attack his facedown monster with Inferno Fire Blast!" she commanded as the dragon unleashed another red-orange fire blast, aimed for Kevin's only defending creature. The inferno smashed into the card, but to everyone's surprise, the monster wasn't destroyed. Instead, the elven warrior in green and gold armor was unfazed by the attack, not showing even the slightest sign of damage.

"What's this?" a flabbergasted Miranda wondered.

"You've attacked my Retrained Elven Swordsman! His special ability prevents him from being destroyed by monsters with more than 1900 attack points, so that not only rules out your Red Eyes Black Dragon, but your Sirius can't touch my monster either!" Kevin happily enlightened Miranda.

"Fine then" Miranda spat. "Since there's nothing I can do now, I'll place this magic or trap card on the field and complete my turn."

"So, who do you think is gonna win Seto?" Mokuba asked his older brother.

"I don't care. Whichever of them wins gets to possess that Blue Eyes White Dragon, and I'll be sure to get it" Kaiba icily responded.

Kevin drew. "I'll use this magic card, Lottery Roll! This card allows me to roll a die and I get to draw a number of cards equal to the roll. However, I also lose 100 points for each card I get to draw, so if I roll a five or a six, then this duel's over" he explained as the die flung out of the card, wildly spinning on the field like an out-of-control raging bull. The die finally calmed down, landing on a four.

"Talk about lucky" Miranda complimented. Kevin drew his four cards. "But your life points also go down to a slim 100" she added as Kevin's life points suffered a minor reduction. (**K: 100**)

"Yes, but thanks to my card I can summon the invincible Spirit Reaper (300/200) in defense mode!" announced Kevin as the tiny purple zombie materialized on the field.

"Invincible? Your card has less than a tenth of the attack strength my monsters are packing" Miranda snapped.

"Looks can be deceiving. You should realize that my Spirit Reaper can never be destroyed in battle by any of your monsters, so all your attacks will be completely useless." Kevin replied, activating a magic card. "Next, I'll use Grave Arm to destroy your Red Eyes Black Dragon once and for all!" he declared as a gray and blue ghostly hand materialized on the field, snatching the dragon. The dragon tried to fight the hand and remain on the field, but his efforts were futile. The dragon was dragged into the depths of the graveyard to remain there.

However, the maneuver had Miranda a little puzzled. "Tell me something. Why didn't you use your magic card on my Sirius? He has much more attack power than the Red Eyes Black Dragon," she noted.

"I'm no fool," responded Kevin. "I know of your monster's ability. If I had used my card to destroy your dragon, you'd have been able to summon the counterpart of your card, and I would have been just back where I started, like walking in a circle."

"Bravo. Not many people know of Sirius' final effect, but you are obviously exempt from that rule. But just knowing effects won't save you, you've got to battle your way to win this duel" Miranda replied.

* * *

"Wow. Kevin just made a smart move guys" Anzu complimented from the sidelines. 

"Yes, Kevin did choose the better of the two monsters to destroy, but he's still up against that dragon, and we don't know too much about it, so I'm assuming Kevin doesn't either. It's anyone's game…still" a grim reply came from Yugi.

"Yeah. Don't worry; I plan to bring some action to this duel. But for now, I'll set a card on the field and end my turn. Back to you," answered Kevin.

Miranda drew. "Well, nothing that can bring my Red Eyes back, and I don't have a new monster to summon, and Spirit Reaper can't be destroyed by Sirius, so there's nothing I can do" she thought. "Very well, I'll pass this turn since there's nothing I can do."

Kevin drew. "Works for me" he stated. "Oh yeah! Your dragon's history! I sacrifice Retrained Elven Swordsman to bring forth the mighty Dragon Seeker (2000/2100)!"

"Alright, I see your game Kevin. Just try to use its ability, and we'll see what happens" Miranda cleverly strategized.

"You know what happens next! When Dragon Seeker's summoned to the field, I can automatically destroy one dragon creature on the field, and there's only one on the field, so say your goodbye!" Kevin explained his plot.

"Oh yeah, Kevin's got this match in the bag!" Tristan declared.

"Don't be too sure" cut off Yugi. "Miranda doesn't seemed worried by this attempt at all"

* * *

"Dragon Seeker, I use your special effect now! Destroy her Sirius!" commanded Kevin as the slayer unsheathed a long, sharp sword, ready to slice the mighty light dragon's neck with. 

"Not this soon! Reverse trap card, Dragon's Relic!" Miranda countered.

"Oh man, I forgot she had set a card facedown," Kevin recalled.

"This trap lets me negate your monsters ability, protecting my dragon as well, for the price of discarding one card from my hand," she explained as she slipped a card into her graveyard slot, triggering her card's ability. An thin, golden light exploded from inside the card, creating a small, but powerful barrier between the two monsters. Dragon Seeker tried with all his might to break through the barrier and complete his task, but ultimately gave up and returned to his side of the field.

"Alright, good play Miranda" complimented Kevin.

"Why thank you. Good attempt on your half as well" Miranda re-complimented to her opponent.

"Thanks, so since I can't attack, I'll stop you from attacking as I play Swords of Revealing Light!" Kevin slammed the card in his duel disk, creating an array of yellow swords centering themselves on Miranda's field, creating a barrier so that Miranda's monsters would be unable to attack.

"So he's trying to buy some time," thought Black Joker.

"Only a desperate amateur would use Swords of Revealing Light just to buy themselves from time. Pathetic" considered Kaiba.

"I draw" Miranda called, picking up the first card on her deck. "I use Pot of Greed to draw two cards," she announced, picking up two more cards from her deck. "Next, I'll set a monster in defense mode and end my turn" she said, completing her move.

Kevin drew once more. "Perfect! I activate Dark Core! This card lets me discard one card…" he began.

"To remove a monster on my side of the field from play" Miranda finished, explaining her knowledge of Duel Monsters cards.

"Well, if you know what it does, guess which monster I'll be using it on" Kevin instructed.

"How should I know?" Miranda sarcastically responded.

"I'll use it on Sirius!" Kevin slipped a card into his graveyard slot, triggering a black ball of energy, which encased the light dragon. The dragon tried with its might to resist the gravitational force of the card, but the magic was too powerful. Miranda took the card off her duel disk, sliding it in a side remove-from-play pocket. Her strongest beast was gone.

"That'll be my turn," said Kevin, satisfied by this turn's work.

"Then allow me to draw" Miranda swiftly drew. "I'll place another monster in defense mode. Just try and attack me now" she baited.

* * *

"You guys think Miranda's got this one?" Anzu wondered. 

"She's good, but this duel's had so many twists and turns, I wouldn't be surprised if Kevin pulls ahead shortly" Tristan responded.

"Yeah, good point" reconsidered Anzu.

"Interesting…it seems as if Miranda's been baiting Kevin throughout this entire duel, letting him achieve small victories here and there, but even though Kevin may have won all the battles…Miranda seems to be winning the war" Black Joker pointed out.

"I draw" Kevin declared. "Now I'll use Graceful Charity!" He slipped the magic card in place. He drew his three cards and analyzed them: Twin-Headed Behemoth, his second Pitch-Dark Dragon, and Raise Dead. After careful consideration, he slipped Twin-Headed Behemoth and Buster Blader into his graveyard. His plan was nearly complete.

"Then I'll use this card! Raise Dead will allow me to summon back Dark Blade!" he announced as his evil warrior rose from the earth back onto the field. "Following that, I use the magic card Fusion! This fuses the Dark Blade on the field with Pitch-Dark Dragon in my hand, summoning Dark Blade Dragon Knight (2200/1500)" Kevin announced as his dragon materialized on the field. Dark Blade responded by launching himself in the air, landing perfectly on the dragon's back, now as one monster.

"However, first I'll send Dragon Seeker to attack your face down monster card on the right!" instructed Kevin as his Dragon Seeker launched a punch at the facedown monster, shattering it. A woman in a dark black robe was destroyed by the attack.

"You destroyed my Witch of the Black Forest! This lets me take my Summoned Skull from my deck and put it into my hand" she explained as her deck holster spit out the monster she requested, which Miranda added to her hand.

"Since fusion monsters can't attack on their first turn, I'll finish my move there," replied Kevin as his turn ended.

Miranda drew. "You summoned a fusion monster, and so can I! Activate, Constellation Draco, allowing me to summon back from the grave my Red Eyes Black Dragon (2400/2000)! Looks like he didn't stay in the graveyard like you planned" Miranda played as her faithful dragon rose from the grave, ready to fight once more.

"Then I'll use my own Fusion magic card to combine my Red Eyes Black Dragon with Summoned Skull to form Black Skull Dragon (3200/2500)," continued Miranda as both monsters appeared on the field. The monsters then disappeared inside a magical vortex, combining together to produce a powerful, but ancient dragon with charcoal skin and thick, powerful claws capable of destroying enemies. His bone structure became increasingly thicker and more powerful than that of the original Red Eyes Black Dragon. This monster's roar was not high-pitched like the original dragon, but instead deeper and ricocheted over the playing field.

"I can't attack you, and your lucky for that, so I'll end my turn" she added as the lights entrapping her monsters disappeared from sight.

"Wow. Didn't plan on that happening" thought Kevin.

"You know Tristan, Kevin sure isn't taking control of this duel" Anzu replied. "I'll bet you 20 bucks Miranda wins this".

"You think? I'll take that. I'll bet 20 bucks that Kevin takes it" Tristan responded.

* * *

"It seems Kevin here has underestimated Miranda. Next turn, she'll wipe him out. There's no card in his entire deck that'll get him out of this predicament. He's got no cards in his hand, so this card he draws could decide the entire match. Alas, it makes no matter to me who wins, that Blue Eyes will eventually find its way into my deck" analyzed Kaiba, whose only concern was when he would receive the fourth legendary dragon. 

"Finally this incessant match draws to its conclusion. Hunter's gone, and I get to send another fool to his ultimate demise" Joker expected.

Kevin drew. His heart was beating rather fast; knowing all he'd work for could be destroyed by one draw. Just one card. To his surprise, Lady Luck had saved him once more. "I use Weakening from the Floor of Death! This card allows me to bring back a monster from my graveyard into my hand, in exchange for allowing you to draw two cards" he enlightened Miranda, who was particularly intrigued by the last part.

Kevin dug through his graveyard slot to his monster of choice, while Miranda picked up the two cards from her deck. "I summon my monster, Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight (2300/2100) to the field now!" he announced as his knight appeared on the field, riding his signature violet horse. His twin pincers ready to blowback his opponent.

"What's your game? You never played Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight!" protested Miranda.

"That may be true, but Swift Gaia was one of the monsters that I discarded due to my Chaos Emperor Dragon's ability" clarified Kevin. "That'll be my move this turn"

Miranda drew. "That'll be the duel!" she corrected. "Black Skull Dragon, cremate his Swift Gaia with your Molten Fireball Attack!" she commanded as the dragon unleashed a mighty fireball ready to eliminate Swift Gaia and end the duel.

"Reverse trap! Spellbinding Circle!" sprang Kevin, as the magical yellow hex appeared on the field, encasing Black Skull Dragon and nullifying its attack before it could destroy its intended target.

Kevin drew once more. "I'll place this card face down and end my turn," he declared, another brown back card materializing on the field.

Miranda drew. "Oh yes! I play the mighty Spear Dragon (1900/0) in attack mode! Spear Dragon, attack Spirit Reaper and win the duel with your Cyclone Blast!" she demanded as the dragon unleashed a windy twister, ready to swallow up Spirit Reaper.

"Not this time! I activate the spell, Mirage Magic! This not only negates your attack, but raises my life points by 1900!" explained Kevin as a mirror appeared, absorbing the attack and using it to raise Kevin's life points (**K: 2000**)

Kevin drew and was surprised by his card. "Perfect! This card will end the match Miranda! I use Dragon Slaying Summoning!" he revealed.

"Dragon Slaying Summoning?" recalled Yugi, Kaiba, and Black Joker simultaneously.

"Something wrong Yugi?" Anzu questioned.

"No, I'll be fine, its just a powerful card Kevin has right now" Yugi explained.

"What's it do Yugi?" Tristan asked.

"Well, it lets Kevin bring a Buster Blader or Dragon Seeker to the field, in exchange for his monsters. This could be the end of the match right here, right now," he explained.

* * *

"I'll use my magic effect to sacrifice all my monsters to bring out my Buster Blader (2600/2300)!" Kevin proclaimed as his monsters turned into ectoplasm, one by one. The ectoplasms then merged together to form the shape of Buster Blader, and afterward, the purple and golden armor costume of the warrior began to take shape, including his long, dragon slaying sword. 

"My monster gains a total of five thousand attack points from all the dragons that you've played in this duel" added Kevin, his monster's attack points skyrocketing to a whopping 7600. "This game's mine! Go Buster Blader, attack her Black Skull Dragon!" demanded Kevin as the monster slashed its mighty sword into the dragon's neck, eliminating the creature once and for all. (**M: 0**)

"Oh man, I lost" Miranda said, a little disappointment in her face.

"Don't worry, it was a good fight" Kevin stated, shutting off his duel disk.

"Yeah, you're right" Miranda replied, shutting her duel disk off as well.

"Ok, we don't need a Pokemon rerun going on here" snapped Kaiba. "Clear the field fools! It's time for myself to duel now, and I'm going to end up dueling the champion of Duel #2, in other words, I'm dueling you Joker" Kaiba pointed as his opponent.

"Very well Mr. Kaiba" Black Joker coolly walked onto the field.

"I don't know what your game is, but I'm here to end it right now by defeating you" Kaiba icily noted. "So your charades' up because its time to duel! And once I win, I'll be rid of you freak shows once and for all."

"You mean once you lose, you'll be trapped to spend an eternity soulless and your precious Blue Eyes will belong to me. There's no way out Mr. Kaiba. It's like locking yourself in your own room, and there's no way out. Get ready, because this is a duel" laughed Black Joker.

Both duelist's life points shot up to 4000.

* * *

CARDS PLAYED

**_Hail of Light Dragon_**: MAGIC/Desc: You can only activate this card when there is a WIND, a WATER, and a LIGHT monsters in your Graveyard. Special Summon one "Sirius Wing Dragon of the Sky Above" from your hand or Deck.

**_Sirius, Winged Dragon of the Sky Above_**: Level 8/ 3300/2600/Dragon Type/Desc: When this monster is sent to the Graveyard, Special Summon one "Hades Core Dragon of the Earth Under" from your hand or your Deck in face- up attack mode or defense mode. If Special summoned from your Deck, the Deck is then shuffled. As long as this card is face-up on the field, all Life Point damage (excluding Battle Damage) done to the cardholder become 0.

_Pitch-Dark Dragon_: Level 3/ 900/600/Dragon Type/Desc: Once per turn, during your Main Phase, if you control this monster on the field, you can equip it to your "Dark Blade" as an Equip Spell Card OR change it back to a monster in face-up Attack Position. When equipped to a monster by this card's effect, that monster's ATK/DEF is increased by 400 points, and when it attacks with an ATK that is higher than the DEF of a Defense Position Monster, inflict the difference as Battle Damage to your opponent's Life Points. (1 monster can only be equipped with 1 Union Monster at a time. If the Monster that this card is equipped to is destroyed in battle, this card is destroyed instead.)

_The Warrior Returning Alive_: MAGIC/Desc: Select 1 Warrior-Type monster in your Graveyard and return it to your hand.

_Raise Dead_: MAGIC/Desc: Select 1 Monster Card from either your opponent's or your own Graveyard and place it on the field under your control in Attack or Defense Position (face-up). This is considered a Special Summon.

_Retrained Elven Swordsman_: Level 4/ 1400/1200/ Warrior Type/Desc: This monster cannot be destroyed in battle with a monster with an attack of 1900 or more. Battle damage is calculated normally.

_Lottery Roll_: MAGIC/Desc: Roll a die. Draw a number of cards equal to the roll of the die. Afterwards, reduce your life points by the number rolled x100.

_Spirit Reaper_: Level 3/ 300/200/ Zombie Type/Desc: This monster is not destroyed as a result of battle at any time, although damage calculation applied normally. When this card is specially designated as the effect of a Magic, Trap or Effect Monster Card, this card is immediately destroyed. When this card attacks your opponent's Life Points directly 1 card randomly selected from your opponent's hand and discarded to the Graveyard.

_Grave Arm_: QUICK-PLAY MAGIC/Desc: Destroy one monster on the field.

_Dragon Seeker_: Level 6/ 2000/2100/ Fiend Type/Desc: When this card is Summoned (excluding Special Summon), destroy 1 face-up Dragon-Type monster on the field.

_Dragon's Relic_: TRAP/Desc: Discard one card from your hand to negate a magic, trap, or monster effect targeting a dragon-type monster on your side of the field.

_Swords of Revealing Light_: MAGIC/Desc: Counting from your opponent's turn, none of your opponent's monsters can attack for 3 turns. When this card is activated, opponent's facedown monsters are turned face-up, but remain in Defense Position. Any effects the monsters may have are immediately activated.

_Pot of Greed_: MAGIC/Desc: Draw 2 cards from your deck.

_Dark Core_: MAGIC/Desc: Discard one card from your hand to remove one monster on the field from play.

_Fusion_: MAGIC/Desc: Fuses 2 or more monsters to form a new Fusion Monster.

_Dark Blade Dragon Knight_: Level 6/ 2200/1500/ Warrior/Desc: "Dark Blade" + "Pitch-Dark Dragon" Each time this card inflicts Battle Damage to your opponent, you can select up to 3 Monster Cards from your opponent's Graveyard and remove them from play.

_Witch of the Black Forest_: Level 4/ 1100/1200/ Spellcaster Type/Desc: When this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard, move 1 monster with a DEF of 1500 or less from your Deck to your hand. Your Deck is then shuffled.

**_Constellation Draco_**: MAGIC/Desc: Select one Dragon-Type monster from your Graveyard. Special Summon it and equip it with this card. If this card is destroyed, the equipped monster is also destroyed.

_Black Skull Dragon_: Level 8/ 3200/2500/ Dragon Type/Desc: "Red Eyes Black Dragon" + "Summoned Skull"

_Weakening from the Floor of Death_: MAGIC/Desc: Place one monster from your graveyard into your hand. Your opponent draws two cards from their deck.

_Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight_: Level 7/ 2300/2100/ Warrior Type/Desc: This monster may be summoned without tributes if it's the only monster in your hand. This is still a normal summon.

_Spear Dragon_: Level 4/ 1900/0/ Dragon Type/Desc: If this card attacks with an ATK that is higher than the DEF of your opponent's Defense Position monster, inflict the difference as Battle Damage to your opponent's Life Points. When this card attacks, it is changed to Defense Position at the end of the Damage Step.

_Mirage Magic_: QUICK-PLAY MAGIC/Desc: Negate an attack by your opponent and increase your life points by an amount equal to the attacking monster's attack points.

_Dragon Slaying Summoning_: MAGIC/Desc: Sacrifice all monsters on your side of the field. Special summon one "Buster Blader" or "Dragon Seeker" from your deck, hand, or graveyard to the field. During this turn, the special summoned monster cannot be targeted by your opponent's magic and trap cards.

_Buster Blader_: Level 7/ 2600/2300/ Warrior Type/Desc: Increase this monster's attack points by 500 for each dragon-type monster on your opponent's side of the field and in your opponent's graveyard.

_All cards in bold-face print are not my property, but belong to 'BlakDragon220'._


	44. Return of the Demon, Part 1

**Disclaimer: **See Chapter 43 for details

**Chapter 44: Return of the Demon, Part 1**

"I'll take first turn honors" rudely declared Black Joker "and I'll use my turn to summon _Blue Ninja_ (1200/1500) in attack mode" he announced as his stealthy robotic blue ninja flipped onto the field, kunai ready to stab through a foe. "I'll set a card on the field before ending my turn."

"Heh. Child's play" retorted Kaiba, swiftly drawing his next card. "I'll place a monster on the field in defense mode, and set two cards face down and end my turn" he declared, three brown back cards making their debut on Kaiba's field.

"And you call my move pointless? I'll place another card on the field in my magic and trap zone! Then, go Blue Ninja, attack his monster with Swift Kunai Strike!" commanded Black Joker as the ninja flipped in the air, releasing five kunai which stabbed into the card. However, the monster was not destroyed by the kunai, only revealed.

"You attacked my Familiar Knight, so that means you lose 200 life points Joker" Kaiba explained. (**J: 3800**)

"Fine Kaiba, take your turn" Joker spat.

"I will" Kaiba drew. "Now witness this! I summon _Spear Dragon_ (1900/0) in attack mode! Next, I'll move Familiar Knight into attack mode. You're making this way too easy Joker! Spear Dragon, destroy his ninja!" commanded Kaiba as his dragon obeyed, unleashing a cyclone blast, enveloping the robotic ninja. (**J: 3100**)

"Familiar Knight, attack him directly!" added Kaiba as his knight slashed vertically at Black Joker. (**J: 1900**)

"You'll pay for that move Kaiba," swore the joker.

"The way you've been dueling in this match, I highly doubt I will," responded Kaiba.

"Don't worry, I intend to step my game up! I call _Zombie Archer_ (1400/1800) in defense mode to the field!" announced Joker as the undead archer knocked an arrow, ready to fire at any sign of instruction from his master.

"Another weak card? I'm growing tired of this" thought Kaiba, while drawing his next card. "I'll bring out _Z-Metal Tank_ (1500/1300) he declared as his small yellow tank materialized on the field. "I switch Spear Dragon into attack mode as well! Spear Dragon, attack his archer!" he instructed as the dragon unleashed another cyclone blast, swallowing up the defending archer. (**J: 1800**)

"Familiar Knight, attack his life points directly!" added Kaiba, his knight charging at Joker.

"Hold on! Activate magic card, _Full House_!" sprang Joker as his card flipped up. Four knights, one orange, one blue, one red, and one green appeared on the field.

"What is this?" asked Kaiba, monster still charging for a knight.

"My spell has summoned four tokens to the field, but that's not all. They gain 500 attack points for each card I have in my hand, and I have four!" Joker enlightened Kaiba as each of his knights raised to 2000 attack points. "Ace Knight, counterattack!" he declared as the green knight stabbed Familiar Knight, destroying the monster. (**K: 3200**)

Kaiba growled. "I'll finish my turn then."

"Just what I thought," said the Joker. He casually drew, raising his cards' attack to 2500. "Perfect! I sacrifice my Jack Token to summon _Primordial Slime_ (2000/1850)!" he declared as his monster's attack lowered to 2000. The blue knight exploded, its molecules reforming to form a chrome slime, which wiggled in place.

"I remember this card," recalled Kaiba. "He used it in his duel with Wheeler!"

* * *

Flashback---

"What is that?" a disgusted Joey questioned.

"A monster that will bring me one step closer to victory and you one step closer to defeat" told the Black Joker.

"Guilford the Lightning, attack his Primordial Slime!" Joey said. Guilford obeyed and charged his sword up again, this time, successfully slicing the slime in several pieces, which were scattered about the battlefield. However, to Joey's astonishment, the scattered remains fused back together. The slime glowed a vibrant white light. When the light died down, there were _two _Primordial Slimes instead of one.

"My Primordial Slime also carries with it a special ability. First, any time you destroy it, it instantly returns to the field in attack mode. Next, whenever it returns to the field, it allows me to bring out _another _Primordial Slime. And finally, each time it returns to the field from the graveyard, Primordial Slime's attack power increases by 500!" Black Joker explained.

End Flashback---

* * *

"So if I try to attack, I'll just be hurting myself more than helping, but if I don't attack, I'll be good, at least for a while" strategized Kaiba. "However, there is a monster in my deck that could get me out of this jam. Oh, bad pun." He thought.

"While you're daydreaming, I'll be dueling" Joker broke Kaiba's concentration. "Primordial Slime, attack his Spear Dragon!" he proclaimed as his slime monster ate the dragon, transforming it into more slime for its body.

Kaiba drew. "I bring forth _Blade Knight_ (1600/1100) in defense mode and move my Z-Metal Tank into defense as well" Kaiba declared as his light-blue armored knight brought its shield before it, and the tank shifted its wings into a defensive position. "Then I'll set a card on the field and end my turn"

Joker drew. "You're pitiful Kaiba. Primordial Slime, destroy that Blade Knight!" he commanded, the monster lunging towards the knight.

"Wait Joker! I've got a trap card, _Ring of Destruction_! This card will instantly destroy your slime and deduct 2000 life points from both of us! And if you're in too much shock to know how to subtract, that means you've just lost the duel!" Kaiba confirmed as a ring of grenades mystically appeared around the slime's neck. The grenades then exploded, spewing chrome slime all over the arena. The slime was holographically disappeared in a matter of seconds however. Joker was smiling.

"So you enjoy losing?" Kaiba asked.

"No, but I haven't lost so it's alright! Activate, _Holy Water_! This card replenishes my life points by half of my slime's attack power!" Joker countered, mystical water splashing on him, drying instantly. (**J: 2800**). The ring surrounding the slime then exploded, sending tiny pools of chrome all over the battlefield. (**J: 800**) (**K: 1200**).

"So it would seem I'm still in the game, eh Kaiba?" taunted the joker.

"_Perfect_" thought Kaiba "_My attempt to defeat him failed, so he's not that bad of an amateur. But he's still nowhere near as good as I am. During my next turn, I might be able to do some heavy damage, I just need the right card." _

"I'll set a card on the field and finish my turn" announced Joker, his remaining tokens' attack depleting to 1500.

"Heh…whatever" swiftly drew Kaiba.

* * *

"This duel's really more than it looks. I just pray Kaiba won't lose, or his soul may be stolen just like Joey's was. But I doubt even Kaiba can beat this guy, his deck theme's really peculiar and seems to be pretty powerful…I just don't know" pondered Yugi on the sidelines.

"Something the matter Yugi?" Anzu questioned, noticing a grim change in her friend's attitude.

"Oh nothing Tea, just…thinking about something" Yugi responded.

"It's Joey…isn't it?" she asked.

"Well…sort of" he paused. "I'm just not sure if even Kaiba can beat this guy, and Kaiba and I are practically equals, so if he can't, I'm afraid that I'll fail as well."

"Don't tell yourself that! You are Kaiba aren't equals, you've dueled and beaten Kaiba three times!" Anzu refueled Yugi's confidence.

"Yeah, you're right Anzu. Thank you for letting me see that, and maybe I can finish what Kaiba can't"

* * *

Kaiba drew. "My move!" he announced.

"Hold on, activate trap, Mass Extinction, which will destroy all cards on the field and will force us to discard our hands!" Joker responded as a massive vortex appeared on the field, dragging all monsters and set cards on the field to their demise. Both players followed by discarding their hands.

"Now what" Kaiba spat.

"Then, we both draw six cards, however, you are not permitted to attack this turn" Joker completed his explanation.

"_Pretty nifty card_" thought Kaiba. "I'll summon V-Tiger Jet (1700/1200) and place one card face down. That's all from me," he announced as his orange mechanic tiger appeared on the field.

"Fine by me…like it'll help" Joker replied, drawing his next card. "Now I call forth _Red Knight_ (1200/1000)!" he announced as his monster, a decaying zombie in rusty red armor materialized on the field, emitting a deep groan.

"I'm afraid I don't see what this card can do? My Tiger Jet will send it back to the graveyard on my next turn" declared Kaiba.

"Fool, I'm not quite finished yet! Activate _Legion of the Undead_, which will call upon two more Red Knights (1200/1000) and then summon two _Blue Knights_ (1900/2300) to the field! Arise my army of demon soldiers!" Joker commanded as two more of the red armored zombies, joined by two large shield and sword wielding blue armored demons appeared on the field.

"_Didn't plan on that happening_" thought Kaiba.

"That's not all that happens! For each Blue Knight on the field, my Red Knights gain 500 attack points (3 2200/1000), and for all the Red Knights, my Blue Knights gain 300 attack points each (2 2500/2300), so try getting past my inevitable army of monsters!" Joker recalled as his monsters' attack points rose accordingly.

"_No! Now not only can he destroy my V-Tiger Jet, but my life points will be left wide open_," thought Kaiba.

"I can tell by the look on your face you think I'm going to attack, well luckily for you, I can't this turn, so make your move!" Joker announced, much to Kaiba's pleasure, however, the young businessman showed no signs of relief. Instead, he drew.

"_Alright, I've got nothing I can summon this turn…so I'm going to need to buy myself another move. If I get another monster, I could summon Blue Eyes White Dragon in my next turn, but to take out five monsters would take way too long going turn by turn, so maybe there's another monster I can use, and luckily for me, I have another component right here in my hand_" he thought.

"If I knew you would take this long to play a card, I would have brought a novel along, now hurry up and play your card! Not like it will further your chances for victory! We both know there's no card that you have that can destroy my army of demons! They will annihilate you and the worst part for you Kaiba, is you know that there's nothing you can do to save yourself," Joker stated.

"Wrong" replied Kaiba. "I've got plenty of strategies that will take you down. And now that you've finally shut up, I can set another card on the field face down and summon W-Double Wing Catapult (1400/1600) to the field!" His new monster, a dark blue catapult with missiles aimed and ready to fire at a moment's notice, emerged on the playing field.

"_I see where Kaiba's headed with this_" slyly noticed Joker. "_I'll just have to be sure what he wants won't happen_."

"_I think I know what Kaiba's planning" _thought Yugi, "_and it's probably his best bet to defeat this guy. Hopefully, he won't catch on until Kaiba's finished. Though his combo may be powerful, it takes a long time to set up…come on Kaiba_."

* * *

"I draw," declared Joker. "This is the end of the line, Kaiba! Blue Knight, carve up his Winged Catapult and the rest of his life points with it!" announced Joker as the knight unsheathed a rusty iron sword, charging toward the machine.

"You've triggered my facedown spell, Card Guard! This card protects my monsters from any damage, as long as I discard two cards from my hand" Kaiba proclaimed, filling the requirement. Two duel-disks appeared before his monsters, serving as shields, which easily repelled the knight's attack before they dispersed.

"_He may have escaped that attack, but I've got plenty of turns left to take him down_," thought Joker, concluding his move.

Kaiba drew. "_Good card_. I use Life-Shortening Treasure to draw 5 cards in exchange for discarding my entire hand in five turns. But we won't get far enough for that to happen."

"I couldn't agree with you more" Joker concurred.

"Yeah, whatever. Next, I'll use Raise Dead to bring back my Z-Metal Tank (1500/1300) in attack mode, and then I'll move my V-Tiger Jet and W-Double Wing Catapult into defense mode, you know, to give them a new perspective. Finally, I'll finish with another card" Kaiba stated as his yellow tank reappeared on the field, and the tiger and catapult shifted into defense positions.

"_I see straight through Kaiba's fool plan. He expects me to go for an attack on his life points to save his Tiger Jet and Catapult. I'll be sure to stop him," _thought Joker as he drew. "I'll play _Monster Reincarnation_ to move Primordial Slime from my graveyard to my hand!" he announced as his graveyard slot spat out the demon monster, which Joker eagerly transferred to his hand.

"Thanks fool! Now I can reveal _Thirst for Compensation_!" Kaiba sprang his magic card. "Now I can summon forth my _X-Head Cannon (_1800/1500) and _Y-Dragon Head_ (1500/1600)!" He slammed the two cards on the field. A blue-and yellow cannon materialized followed by a red mechanical dragon. "_Now all I need to do is combine them together, and he's finished_"

"Nice plan Kaiba, but I'm afraid it won't work. My monster's attack strength clearly outnumbers yours. I'll give you credit for setting your ultimate machine up, but it's about to come tumbling down! Blue Knight, attack his X-Head Cannon!" Joker commanded as his monster once again unsheathed his sword, sending an airwave across the field, prepared to slice through the machine.

"Activate trap _Attack Nullification!_ This trap absorbs your attack, saves my monsters, and ends your battle phase!" Kaiba replied, as the wave was absorbed into a vortex. Joker growled, knowing he'd been set up, and it had worked…to Kaiba's advantage.

"Aww…you don't seem so happy. Is it because I'm about to beat you even though you swore you'd be victorious? Here's a tip…don't become a psychic." Kaiba mocked.

"Heh" Joker sarcastically laughed.

"Well, no matter" Kaiba drew. "Now I combine the V-Tiger Jet and W-Double Wing Catapult into _VW-Wing Tiger Catapult _(2000/1500)!" he announced as his two machines combined. "Then, I'll combine X-Head Cannon, Y-Dragon Head, and Z-Metal Tank into _XYZ-Dragon Cannon (_2800/2600)!" he continued while the three other cards combined into one mega-monster.

* * *

"Kaiba's got a pretty good team of monsters on his hand" Tristan stated.

"Oh, he's not finished yet Tristan" Yugi added.

"You mean he can make those things _more_ powerful?" Anzu questioned.

"Yes, and it seems Black Joker over there may be in trouble." Yugi responded.

"And if you think I'm finished, think again! Now I combine my two monsters into the unstoppable _VWXYZ- Dragon Catapult Cannon_ (3000/2800)!" Kaiba completed his strategy as the two machines joined forces to create an enormous, all-powerful machine. "Next, I reveal one of my monster's effects! Dragon Catapult Cannon, remove one of the Blue Knights from the game!" Kaiba's monster obeyed, seizing a missile from X-Head Cannon and firing it at the knight, via W-Double Wing Catapult. The missile smashed into the knight, eliminating him on impact.

"There's no way you can win, just give it up!" Kaiba called.

"_I may be down, but I'm not out Kaiba. You have no clue what my deck is capable of. I will defeat you, and once I do, your soul is mine_." Joker thought, chuckling to himself.

* * *

**CARDS PLAYED**

Blue Ninja: Level 4/ 1200/1500/ Machine/Desc: When this card is summoned, you may move one "Razor Blade" card from your deck to your hand.

Familiar Knight: Level 4/ 1200/1400/ Warrior/Desc: When this card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard as a result of battle, each player can Special Summon 1 level 4 monster from their hand.

Spear Dragon: Level 4/ 1900/0/ Dragon Type/Desc: When this card attacks a monster in defense position, inflict the difference of points as battle damage to your opponent's life points. After this monster attacks, it is placed in defense mode after the damage step.

Zombie Archer: Level 4/ 1400/1800/ Undead/Desc: Each time a card equipped to this monster specifically effects Undead-type monsters, raise this monster's strength by a further 500 points.

Z-Metal Tank: Level 4/ 1500/1300/ Machine Type/Desc: Once per turn, during your Main Phase, if you control this monster on the field, you can equip it to your "X-Head Cannon" or "Y-Dragon Head" as an Equip Spell Card OR change it back to a monster in face-up Attack Position. When equipped on a monster by this card's effect, that monster's ATK/DEF is increased by 600 points. (1 monster can only be equipped with 1 Union Monster at a time. If the monster that the card is equipped to is destroyed in battle, this card is destroyed instead.)

Full House: QUICK-PLAY MAGIC/Desc: This card may only be activated when there are no monsters on your side of the field. Special summon one "Ace Token", one "Jack Token", one "Queen Token", and one "King Token" to your side of the field in face up attack or defense position. The tokens' attack and defense strength is equal to the number of cards in your hand x500.

Primordial Slime: Level 6/ 2000/1850/ Undead Type/Desc: When this card is sent to the graveyard as a result of battle, it is immediately special summoned back to the field in face-up attack position. At that time, increase this card's attack power by 500 points. When this card is special summoned from the graveyard, you may special summon another "Primordial Slime" from your hand or deck to the field (in any position).

Blade Knight: Level 4/ 1600/1000/ Warrior Type/Desc: When there is only one card or no cards in your hand, increase this card's attack power by 400 points. Also, if this monster is the only card on your side of the field, negate the effect of any flip-effect monsters destroyed by this card in battle.

Ring of Destruction: TRAP/Desc: Select and destroy one face up monster on the field, and inflict direct damage equal to the attack points of the destroyed monster to both player's life points.

Holy Water: QUICK-PLAY MAGIC/Desc: Select one monster. Increase your life points by an amount equal to half of the monster's attack points.

Mass Extinction: TRAP/Desc: Destroy all cards on the field and in both players' hands. Afterwards, both players draw six cards. The current player's turn's battle phase cannot be conducted.

V-Tiger Jet: Level 4/ 1700/1200/ Machine Type

Red Knight: Level 4/ 1200/1000/ Undead Type/Desc: Increase this card's attack power by 500 for each "Blue Knight" face-up on the field.

Legion of the Undead: MAGIC/Desc: This card may only be activated if there is a "Red Knight" on your side of the field. Special summon 2 "Red Knights" and 2 "Blue Knights" from your hand, deck, or graveyard to the field in face-up attack position.

Blue Knight: Level 6/ 1900/2300/ Undead Type/Desc: Increase this card's attack power by 300 points for each "Red Knight" on the field.

W-Double Wing Catapult: Level 4/ 1400/1600/ Machine Type/Desc: Once per turn, during your Main Phase, if you control this monster on the field, you can equip it to your "X-Head Cannon" or "V-Tiger Jet" as an Equip Spell Card OR change it back to a monster in face-up Attack Position. When equipped on a monster by this card's effect, that monster's ATK/DEF is increased by 300 points. (1 monster can only be equipped with 1 Union Monster at a time. If the monster that the card is equipped to is destroyed in battle, this card is destroyed instead.)

Card Guard: QUICK-PLAY MAGIC/Desc: Discard cards equal to the number of monsters on your side of the field from your hand. In this turn, negate all magic effects, trap effects, and attacks on your monsters.

Life-Shortening Treasure: MAGIC/Desc: Draw 5 cards from your deck. Five turns later, discard your entire hand.

Raise Dead: MAGIC/Desc: Select one monster from either player's graveyard and special summon it to the field in face-up attack or defense position on your side of the field.

Monster Reincarnation: MAGIC/Desc: Select one undead type monster from your graveyard and place it in your hand.

Thirst for Compensation: QUICK-PLAY MAGIC/Desc: When your opponent places cards from the graveyard into their hand, you may activate this card. Special summon up to 2 level 4 monsters from your hand to the field.

X-Head Cannon: Level 4/ 1800/1500/ Machine Type

Y-Dragon Head: Level 4/ 1500/1600/ Machine Type/Desc: Once per turn, during your Main Phase, if you control this monster on the field, you can equip it to your "X-Head Cannon" as an Equip Spell Card OR change it back to a monster in face-up Attack Position. When equipped on a monster by this card's effect, that monster's ATK/DEF is increased by 400 points. (1 monster can only be equipped with 1 Union Monster at a time. If the monster that the card is equipped to is destroyed in battle, this card is destroyed instead.)

Attack Nullification: TRAP/Desc: This card may only be activated when your opponent attacks. Negate the attack and end your opponent's battle phase.

VW-Wing Tiger Catapult: Level 6/2000/1500/ Machine Type/Desc: "V-Tiger Jet" + "W-Double Wing Catapult" This monster can only be Special Summoned by removing from play the above monsters on your side of the field. You do not use "Polymerization" to Special Summon this monster from your Fusion Deck. Discard 1 card from your hand to switch the mode of your opponent's monsters from defense mode to attack mode.

XYZ-Dragon Cannon: Level 8/ 2800/2600/ Machine Type/Desc: "X-Head Cannon" + "Y-Dragon Head" + "Z-Metal Tank" This monster can only be Special Summoned by removing from play the above monsters on your side of the field. You do not use "Polymerization" to Special Summon this monster from your Fusion Deck. Discard 1 card from your hand to destroy 1 card on your opponent's side of the Field.

VWXYZ Dragon Catapult Cannon: Level 8/ 3000/2800/ Machine Type/Desc: "VW-Wing Tiger Catapult" + "XYZ-Dragon Cannon" This monster may only be Special Summoned by removing from play the above monsters on your side of the field. You do not use "Fusion" to summon this card. During your turn, once per turn, you may remove one monster on your opponent's side of the field from play. When this card attacks, switch the target of the attack into attack position.


	45. Return of the Demon, Part 2

**Disclaimer: **See Chapter 44 for details

**Chapter 45: Return of the Demon, Part 2**

"Now that your Blue Knight is gone, your Red Knights lose their power bonus" Kaiba pointed out as the knights' attack points lowered to 1700. "And that's not all you're about to lose! Dragon Catapult Cannon, attack his Blue Knight now!" he commanded as his monster launched a stream of missiles to eliminate the enemy. The missiles easily overwhelmed and eliminated the zombie knight. (**J: 300**)

"And because Kaiba destroyed the other Blue Knight, Joker's Red Knights lose even more attack power" Yugi explained from the sidelines, the knights' strength decreasing to 1200.

Joker drew. "_There's not much I can do this turn, I'll just have to stall for time"_ he planned. "I switch my 3 Red Knights into defense mode and place a card face down to finish my turn"

"I knew you'd run back in your corner as soon as I summoned one of my ultimate monsters. Now witness its power again! Dragon Catapult Cannon, remove his Red Knight from play!" Kaiba drew and pointed towards the target. His machine responded by firing an array of missiles, completely eliminating any trace of the demon.

"_I'm losing defenses fast. There's got to be something I can summon to help me out_," Joker thought. However, Kaiba's next command interrupted his thoughts.

"Dragon Catapult Cannon, launch your attack at Red Knight!" The monster revved up its missiles for a second show. The missiles locked on target and were released with enormous force, traveling to the demon. "And in case you didn't know, my Dragon Catapult Cannon also has another ability! It can instantly switch your Red Knight into attack mode!" Kaiba added as the zombie unwillingly stood up, trying to fight the force controlling it, but ultimately conceded. Afterwards, the missiles finally reached their destination, exploding upon contact.

"Oh yeah! Kaiba took this guy down. There's no way his life points can survive after that!" Tristan concluded.

"You're right. Kaiba's monster is way too powerful for Joker's current line-up to stand against," Yugi added.

"I just hope you don't have to go against that thing Yugi" Anzu sighed.

"If you're done celebrating what you thought was Kaiba's victory, check again" Joker called, breaking the small-lived joy among the friends. The gang looked at the playing field to see both knights still on the field, Joker's life points not hit 0 yet, and Kaiba looking surprised but angry all in one.

"You were too confident to notice my trap, _Hail Shield_!" Joker replied, as a small hailstorm provided a barrier between the missiles and the demon. The missiles eventually gave up and dispersed.

"You think a little change of weather will stop my monster, no worries. Next turn, my missiles will blow your zombie back to the graveyard" threatened Kaiba.

Joker's first response was a small chuckle. "Kaiba, there won't be a next turn for your Dragon Catapult Cannon. That was his last attack!" Joker swiftly drew. "First thing's first. My trap card also raised my life points by 1000 (**J: 1300**) "Then I activate the magic card, _Origins_! This card returns all fusion monsters on the field to their original state! So, let's break down your cannon into VW-Wing Tiger Catapult and the XYZ-Dragon Cannon," he began, the monster de-fusing into its original parts. "However, it returns it to its original state, so let's welcome back Kaiba's five monsters!" he gleefully concluded, the two monsters decomposing to form the five original monsters that had combined to create the ultimate machine weapon.

"_He wasn't lying! He decomposed my cannon, but if that's all he can do, he wasted a good card_" thought Kaiba.

"Next, I sacrifice one of my Red Knights to bring forth _Universal Shadow_ (1700/1300)!" Joker slammed his newest card onto his Duel Disk. A dark, mysterious plasma monster emerged from the card.

"What could that be?" Anzu wondered.

"I'm not sure, but it's definitely bad. His new creature can wipe out one of Kaiba's monsters, so Kaiba can't resummon his VWXYZ Dragon Catapult Cannon. Although, there is one positive note I think Black Joker overlooked. Next turn, Kaiba can refuse to form XYZ Dragon Cannon or VW-Wing Tiger Jet, and both of them have higher attack points than his shadow, so that could be Kaiba's way to victory" Yugi strategized.

"_I'm losing control of this duel_," Kaiba reflected.

"Universal Shadow, attack his Z-Metal Tank!" commanded Joker as the monster easily swallowed the machine whole. The machine was converted into plasma, only expanding the monster, but not by much.

"_I wonder what that means. Odds are, I'm not going to enjoy discovering that_" Kaiba considered. (**K: 600**) He then drew.

"Wait! First I think you might want to know what my monster did! When it converted your creature into plasma, the plasma expanded my creature, making him more powerful, and raising his strength 400 points (2100/1300)!" Joker explained to his delight.

"Aha!" Yugi discovered.

"What is it Yugi?" Tristan questioned.

"Joker did realize Kaiba could resummon XYZ-Dragon Cannon. That's why he destroyed Z-Metal Tank! Now Kaiba's VW-Tiger Wing Catapult won't be strong enough to destroy it, so Kaiba's got nothing on the field he can depend upon.

Kaiba realized this as well. "_Nice plan, I have to admit_. _But it still won't save him_." He thought. "I switch my monsters to defense mode and place a card face down to finish my turn," he announced.

Joker drew. "I summon _Ninja_ (1100/1400) in attack mode! Then I play the two cards _Destruction Wave_ and _Strength Teleporter_! First, my Strength Teleporter will allow me to sacrifice a Ninja to power up my Red Knight by 1100 points!" he announced as the ninja was converted into a cloud of atoms which flew into the demon knight. (2300).

"_This…could be bad_," thought Tristan.

"Red Knight, attack his Y-Dragon Head!" announced Joker as his demon easily sliced through the mechanical dragon. "Universal Shadow, destroy X-Head Cannon" he added as the shadow engulfed the machine, transforming him into plasma and strengthening himself. (2500/1300) "However, if you thought I was going to leave you anything for next turn, think again! Destruction Wave activates! Since I destroyed X-Head Cannon, I can send my Universal Shadow to destroy every monster on your side of the field with less than 1800 attack points, so Universal Shadow, eliminate Kaiba's remaining monsters!" Joker instructed as the shadow swallowed the two remaining machines, strengthening itself even further. (3300/1300)

"Kaiba's not doing to hot anymore guys" Tristan commented.

"Yes, but even though it's strong, his monster's not unbeatable. If Kaiba can believe in himself, and trust his deck, I'm certain he can find away to defeat it" Yugi replied.

Kaiba drew. "Don't forget! Next turn, you'll be discarding your hand due to your Life-Shortening Treasure!" Joker intervened.

"Yeah, I know how the card works!" Kaiba snapped, continuing with his move. "You should pay attention to your own field!" Kaiba eyed his next card, useless for now. Kaiba sunk to a knee. "I pass" he mumbled.

The gang gasped. "Is Kaiba…giving up?" Anzu asked.

"I'm not sure, but from the looks of it, Kaiba doesn't think he can win" Tristan shrugged and replied. A brief wind swept by the arena, and there were no sounds that accompanied it.

Joker gladly drew. "Well, it has been fun Kaiba, but now…victory approaches! And I'm one move away! Universal Shadow, end this game and eradicate the rest of Kaiba's life points!" he commanded as his shadow launched a plasma blast, aimed directly for Kaiba.

Kaiba met this attack head on, standing up. However, he was smiling. "I knew you'd be too overconfident to notice my trap card! Now reveal, _Mechanical Magic Mirror_! I can use this card to copy any magic card you've used, and I use Full House!" he sprang as his card morphed into Full House. Instantly, the four card knights appeared on the field to Kaiba's defense, each with 1000 attack and defense points. The Ace Knight took the blast for Kaiba.

"_Hmm…so Kaiba's baited me and used one of my cards against me. Most impressive_" thought Joker. "Red Knight, attack a token!" he commanded as his demon knight sliced through another defense. "Then I'll finish my turn by placing a card on the field facedown. Your move."

"Fine" Kaiba snatched his next card.

"_There's only one reason Kaiba used that card. Not only did it provide him with a defense, it set him up to sacrifice monsters. And if I know Kaiba, there's only one card he'll summon this turn"_ strategized Joker.

"Now I sacrifice my two remaining tokens to bring forth my _Blue Eyes White Dragon_ (3000/2500)!" Kaiba slapped his ultimate monster on his duel disk. The card exploded with lightning, as Kaiba's signature white dragon with blue outlines and powerful blue eyes materialized on the field, sending a powerful roar through the air.

"Oh yeah! Kaiba's ultimate monster! There's no way Joker can stand up to that kind of power!" Tristan declared.

"Blue Eyes White Dragon, destroy his Red Knight with your White Lightning Attack!" Kaiba demanded as his monster unleashed a flurry of lightning, flooding the arena.

"Hold on! Activate magic card, _Attack Interceptor_! This card allows me to summon _Fairy of Last Hope_ (1000/1500) in defense mode, and she'll instantly draw your attack towards her!" he announced as the fairy exuded a magical essence that drew the lightning towards it, eliminating her on contact.

"He saved himself…" growled Kaiba.

"Not only did I save myself, but now I can use my fairy's ability and sacrifice my Red Knight to summon _Vega Donna_ (2900/2800)!" he declared as his newest monster appeared. Half-demon, half-vampire, she gave off evil essence. She had razor sharp wings, slick black hair, and an arsenal full of daggers and knives. She flashed a smirk.

Joker drew. "Don't feel so bad Kaiba. If it makes you feel better, you're the worthiest opponent this pitiful tournament's offered me so far! So let's end your suffering! Universal Shadow, attack his Blue Eyes White Dragon!" he instructed as the monster enveloped the creature.

"I'll counter with my trap, _Tyrant Wing_! This card raises Blue Eyes' attack by 400, stronger than your shadow!" Kaiba countered as mystic wings grew on Blue Eyes' shoulders. The dragon garnered enough strength to burst from the demon, splattering it around the field and finishing it off for good. (**J: 1200**)

"_Kaiba's outsmarted me once again. I'm losing control of this duel_" Joker realized.

Kaiba drew. "First, I'll use _Pot of Greed_ to draw two more cards" he swiftly drew. "Now Blue Eyes White Dragon, attack Vega Donna with White Lightning!" he commanded as the dragon produced another widespread white lightning attack. However, as soon as the attack reached the mistress, she effortlessly back flipped out of the way, as if to insult Kaiba without even saying anything.

"There's no way! How'd your monster avoid that?" Kaiba angrily demanded to know.

Joker chuckled. "Ah yes, Vega Donna. She can negate any attack that's thrown at her once, so your dragon's attack is out of the question! Care to try again next turn?" he mocked.

"_That's another one of his little effects he's depended upon to win this duel. Quite frankly, I'm growing tired of this…" _thought Kaiba.

Joker drew. "_Perfect_. I activate _Demon Cloning Device_, allowing me to summon 2 more Vega Donna's to the field!" he announced as his one monster instantly multiplied to form two more.

"_Not that bad for me. His monsters still are weaker than my dragon. I'll take them out turn by turn_" designed Kaiba.

"Then to finish my turn, I'll set a card face down!"

"What do you think is the deal with Joker's monsters. There's something he's hiding" Tristan pointed out.

"Yeah, something's definitely not right. I just hope Kaiba knows what it is, because the only person it will effect is him" responded Anzu. Yugi had a vexed look on his face.

Kaiba snatched his card. "_Just what I needed_. Blue Eyes White Dragon, launch your attack at the original Vega Donna!" he directed, his monster obeying by unleashing a stream of white lightning across the arena, melting the creature. (**J: 700**). However, the puddle that was once Vega Donna reformed itself, until it was completely normal. Everyone gasped.

"There's no way! How'd your card do that?" Kaiba questioned.

"I told you he was hiding something!" Tristan reacted.

Joker let out a full laugh. "This never gets old… Kaiba falling for every one of my traps. That's my deck's theme for this match, always keeping you off-guard, and its working well! My Demon Cloning Device allows me to resummon Vega Donna each time she's destroyed, however, as a price, she loses 1000 attack and defense points (1900/1800).

"_Hmm…she loses 1000 points each time I attack. That could be the key to my victory_" thought Kaiba. "Blue Eyes White Dragon, launch your attack again!" commanded Kaiba, his monster sending another lightning wave, which, in turn melted the monster. The puddle reformed itself, and the points were subtracted afterwards, as before (900/800)

"To protect my life points, I'll use _Shield Spell!_ This card takes all the damage and subtracts it from one of my monster's defense points!" he announced as the weakest Vega Donna's defense power lowered to 0.

"No matter, next turn you lose!" Kaiba declared.

"There is no next turn" Joker coldly responded. "That was as far as you'll go! Prepare to lose your soul! I use the powerful _Self-Destruction!_ This card allows me to sacrifice monsters and deplete half their attack points from your dragon, so now, I offer my two Vega Donna's to weaken your dragon by 2900 points!" he explained as the two monsters morphed into energy beams, striking the dragon, and weakening him by a tremendous amount (500/2500)

"Whoa…Kaiba's Blue Eyes just lost some major points" Tristan said.

"Attack me if you want, I'll still have 200 life points left! _And next turn, I'll use Raise Dead to bring back my Blue Eyes. He won't suspect a thing_" Kaiba finished his statement to himself.

"I'm not taking any chances with you Kaiba, I'm much smarter than _that_. so I'll activate _Sword of Demon Arms_, which raises Vega Donna's attack by 1000 points (1900/800)!" A mystic sword with ancient symbols appeared on the field. As soon as Vega Donna grasped it, violet and indigo flames ignited on the outside edge of the blade.

"Finish this! Vega Donna, attack Blue Eyes White Dragon!" The monster brought the mighty blade down the dragon's neck, slaying the great beast. Kaiba looked for anything he could do, any way to save his dragon, his reputation, and his soul. However, he soon discovered there was nothing that could save him. He had to put up with the fact he'd failed once again, he'd never reclaim his coveted title, and he was about to lose his soul…for the third time. Kaiba slumped to the ground as his life points plummeted. (**K: 0**)

The announcer raised his arm in the air. "The winner of this duel is Black Joker" he pointed towards the victor.

Joker walked over to Kaiba. "Time to collect my prize" he smirked. ""Tribuo ego tui phasma" responded the joker. His necklace began to activate, emitting a faint aquamarine glow. To Kaiba, however, a sensation was overtaking his body. He began to feel a slight numbness, which soon spread rapidly over his body. His breaths seemed shorter, his heart was beating faster, and his world was spinning out of control. He remember the numbness reaching his chest before he blacked out.

In reality, Kaiba's soul has just been absorbed into Joker's necklace, trapping it. Joker then took the Blue Eyes White Dragon card off Kaiba's Duel Disk and uttered the same words. The necklace reactivated, sealing the dragon within the card as well. The entire card had been wiped blank. "Two down" thought Joker. "One to go" he eyed Yugi. He calmly exited the battlefield.

The gang escorted Kaiba's soulless body to his room. Mokuba fought back tears. "This isn't fair!" he cried. "Just because my brother loses doesn't mean he should have his soul stripped!" Tears then flowed like a river, Anzu walking over to comfort him.

"Everything will be alright in the end, trust me" she whispered and hugged the teen. "Yugi will fix everything." Yugi eyed Joey's room and thought about Tea's words, and sighed, realizing the heavy burden that had been place upon his shoulders.

* * *

**CARDS PLAYED**

Hail Shield: TRAP/Desc: When your opponent attacks, negate the attack and raise your life points by 1000.

Origins: QUICK-PLAY MAGIC/Desc: Return all fusion monsters to the fusion deck. Also, special summon all fusion-material monsters fused to create the fusion monsters to their respective fields from the hand, deck, graveyard, or removed from play piles.

Universal Shadow: Level 5/ 1700/1300/ Demon Type/Desc: Each time this monster successfully destroys a monster in battle (excluding tokens), increase this monster's attack by 400 points after the damage step.

Ninja: Level 4/ 1100/1400/ Machine Type/Desc: When this card is normal summoned or special summoned, move one "Shadow Ninja" from your deck or graveyard to your hand.

Strength Teleporter: MAGIC/Desc: Sacrifice one face-up monster on your side of the field. Increase one monster's attack strength by an amount equal to the number of attack points of the sacrificed monster.

Destruction Wave: MAGIC/Desc: Select one monster on your side of the field. After this monster attacks this turn, you may have the monster attack again all monsters on your opponent's side of the field with a lower ATK than the ATK of the original monster destroyed.

Mechanical Magic Mirror: TRAP/Desc: When your opponent attacks, you may activate one magic card from your opponent's graveyard.

Blue Eyes White Dragon: Level 8/ 3000/2500/ Dragon Type

Attack Interceptor: QUICK-PLAY MAGIC/Desc: When your opponent attacks, you may activate this card. Special summon one level 4 or lower monster from your deck or hand to the field in face-up defense position. That monster becomes the new target of the attack.

Fairy of Last Hope: Level 3/ 1000/1500/ Fairy Type/Desc: When this monster is sent to the graveyard as a result of battle, you may special summon one monster from your hand by sacrificing one monster on your side of the field (excluding this card).

Vega Donna: Level 8/ 2900/2800/ Demon Type/Desc: When your opponent attacks this monster, negate the attack. This effect may only be used once per duel.

Tyrant Wing: TRAP/Desc: This card may only be equipped to a dragon-type monster. Increase the monster's attack by 400 points. During the battle phase, the equipped monster may attack twice.

Pot of Greed: MAGIC/Desc: Draw 2 cards from your deck.

Demon Cloning Machine: CONTINIOUS MAGIC/Desc: Select one demon-type monster on your side of the field. Special summon any monsters with the same name from your hand, deck, or graveyard to the field in the same position as the original monster. Whenever one of the monsters is destroyed as a result of battle, special summon it back to the field in face-up attack position. Afterwards, decrease its attack and defense strengths by 1000 points.

Shield Spell: TRAP/Desc: When your opponent inflicts battle damage to your life points, you may activate this card. Take the amount of battle damage and decrease it from one of your monster's defense strengths instead of your life points.

Self-Destruction: MAGIC/Desc: During this turn, sacrifice any number of monsters on your side of the field. Half of the total attack of the monsters sacrificed is subtracted from one of your opponent's monsters (that you select).

Sword of Demon Arms: MAGIC/Desc: This card may only be equipped to a "Vega Donna". Increase the equipped monster's attack points by 1000. After this card is active on the field for five turns, you may sacrifice Vega Donna and this card to special summon one "Demon King" from your hand, deck, or graveyard to the field.


End file.
